Ribovics Reveals Real Target Of UFC 332 Trash Talk
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Esteban Ribovics says his post-fight words after stopping Bobby Green at UFC 332 were not intended for his opponent.
Ribovics dropped Green three times before referee Herb Dean waved off their catchweight bout in the first round Saturday in Salt Lake City. As Dean intervened, Ribovics shouted at Green, but the Argentine lightweight has now clarified the actual recipient. Per Sherdog, Ribovics told reporters at the post-fight press conference that his trash talk was directed at professional boxer Arnold Barboza Jr., a friend of Green's, following an altercation outside the fighter hotel the day before the event.
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What Ribovics Said After Stopping Green
Ribovics and Green embraced immediately after the stoppage despite the heated words. The Argentine explained that he yelled "Keep talking" as a reference to Green's well-known habit of verbally engaging opponents during fights. Ribovics said he prepared for that tactic by having a training partner mimic it in sparring sessions.
"He talked a little sh*t, but it's his game," Ribovics said, per MMA Fighting. "I knew he was gonna do that. I prepared for that. My partner did the same in training. I came ready for that... I said to him, 'Keep talking.' It was for the day before. But it's not Bobby. It's the boxer guy."
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The bout took place under tense circumstances after Ribovics missed weight, triggering a confrontation between the two camps. Ribovics improved his UFC record with the finish while Green suffered his second consecutive knockout loss.
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