Bobby Green Replaces Beneil Dariush To Face Makhachev Feb. 26

Bobby Green will be replacing Beneil Dariush to face Islam Makhachev in the new UFC Fight Night main event on February 26.

Ariel Helwani was the first to break the news of Dariush pulling out of the fight. Dariush is citing an ankle injury as the reason for his withdrawal. Hours later, ESPN confirmed that Bobby Green will serve as Dariush’s replacement in what will now be a catchweight bout at 160 lbs.

The Feb. 26 headliner between Makhachev and Dariush was expected by many to serve as a lightweight title eliminator to determine who would challenge champion Charles Oliveira next.

Beneil Dariush has won seven consecutive fights and was considered to be a very challenging stylistic matchup for Makhachev. Dariush has proven that he is more than willing to stand and bang with bonus-worthy performances, but what made this pairing most intriguing is the fact that Dariush is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is considered one of the best grapplers in the UFC. Given Makhachev’s grappling-heavy style, this match was considered a strong example of “something’s gotta give.”

Islam Makhachev is currently enjoying an incredible nine-fight winning streak. A win here would have not only made for a 10th straight victory but would have finally included that elusive win over a top-5 opponent that many have demanded of him. During this winning streak, Makhachev has defeated names like Thiago Moisés, Drew Dober, and most recently Dan Hooker.

Scouring the scoring: Round 3 of UFC 265's Bobby Green vs. Rafael Fiziev -  Bloody Elbow
Bobby Green

Enter Bobby Green. Green is currently unranked but he has just turned in two exceptional back-to-back performances, including TKOing Al Iaquinta in the first round at UFC 268 and then putting on a striking showcase at the expense of Nasrat Hasparast last weekend at UFC 271.

Coincidentally, the UFC 271 commentating team had lobbied for Bobby Green to be booked in his first UFC main event. Perhaps the MMA gods listened as this idea gained public backing before they granted their own official approval.

While it is unclear if a win for Makhachev would be enough for a title shot, it is certain that a win for Bobby Green here would be career-changing and earn him a strong presence in the lightweight rankings.

Who do you think will win between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green on February 26?

Related News

Top Stories

UFC Store

Demetrious Johnson Tells Sean Strickland To ‘Swallow His Ego’ & Change His Style After UFC 312

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson thinks it's time for Sean Strickland to change his ways...

Dricus Du Plessis: Khamzat Chimaev ‘Deserves A Hiding’ Before Alex Pereira Fight

Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title for the second time with a...

Dana White Reveals ‘Fascinating’ Revelation He Had While Watching Sean Strickland At UFC 312

Sean Strickland’s loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 was a decisive unanimous...

Dricus Du Plessis ‘Super Frustrated’ By UFC 312 Boos: ‘If It Was Towards Me, You Are Stupid’

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis insists he's not to blame for how his...

UFC Analyst Rips Sean Strickland After UFC 312 Performance: ‘He’s Not Who He Says He Is’

Sean Strickland’s pre-fight promises of a brutal, all-out war with Dricus Du Plessis at...

Joe Rogan Reacts To Dricus Du Plessis’ UFC 312 Win Over Sean Strickland: ‘He’s A Tough Puzzle’

While the UFC 312 main event itself didn't exactly deliver fireworks, color commentator Joe...

Merab Dvalishvili Slams Controversial Stoppage At UFC 312: ‘Hate This!’

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili was not pleased to see one fighter's outing at...

Khamzat Chimaev & Nassourdine Imavov Among Fighters Unimpressed By UFC 312 Main Event

Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland ran it back in Saturday's UFC 312 headliner,...

Sean Strickland Reveals Extent Of Damage From Dricus Du Plessis Punch At UFC 312: ‘Broke My Nose In Like Six Places’

Following his unanimous decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 in Sydney,...