Conor McGrego r's UFC lightweight rivals who turned down a short-notice fight with Islam Makhachev have been branded "wimps".
Makhachev was scheduled to fight No.3 ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush this Saturday, but Dariush broke his fibula and withdrew from the fight.
Bobby Green stepped up to take the fight just one week after his decision win at UFC 271 and 'King' slammed fighters who were offered the fight before him for turning it down.
“I know already, the top-10 guys, [Dan] Hooker said it best, all those motherf****** got the call first. I guarantee you all those guys were p******. All those guys were f***ing p******," he said on " The MMA Hour '.
And former UFC title challenger turned analyst Chael Sonnen has backed up Green's take on those who passed up the opportunity.
"The biggest wimps in all of sport are in the cage near you," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel of fighters refusing to face Makhachev.
The most mentally weak, unprepared, don't-wanna-have-to-do-anything, [but] have everything done for them group in all of sport is the alleged tough guys fighting in the cage three times a year and Bobby Green is right."
"I never thought of it, but I thought of it as soon as I heard Bobby Green say it. He wasn't the first one called was he, they didn't wanna change the weight and spot five pounds did they?
"Bobby's right, Bobby wasn't the first one called. Bobby's just the only non-p-word in the entire group. I would like to know who else was on that list."
With several of the top-ranked lightweights having fights in the works but not announced as official, it's unclear who was offered to fight Makhachev before Green was given the call.
Can Bobby Green stop Islam Makhachev's winning streak? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
Green is unranked at 155-pounds but extended his unbeaten run to two fights by beating Nasrat Haqparast earlier this month.
Makhachev makes his first octagon appearance this year against Green and won three fights in 2021 all by submission.
And Green thinks many fighters want to "pick their turn" on when to accept a short notice fight.
He continued: "They want to wait and pick their turns. ‘No, it’s not good enough. No, I need more time. No, I only want to fight somebody ahead of me, but then I want it to be with the right camp and I want it to be all the right situations.’
"Sometimes you’ve got to jump on it and take it the way it is. Now I’m jumping over all you guys because why? You’re too p**** to take the opportunity.”
