Bobby Green can put himself within one victory of a rare five-win UFC calendar year when he meets Argentina’s Esteban Ribovics in a lightweight bout at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on 3 October.
The 40-year-old enters the contest on a four-fight winning run, according to BBC Sport, and a win over Ribovics would give him four victories from four fights in 2026. It would also leave Green one result short of joining the small group of fighters to have won five UFC bouts in a single calendar year.
That prospect gives the bout a clear sporting significance, but Green’s immediate position is also shaped by his contract situation. BBC Sport reported that the Ribovics fight is one of the final two contests on his current UFC deal, with Green acknowledging that his performance could influence the next stage of his career.
A late-career run continues at UFC 332
Green has had more than 30 UFC fights since making his promotional debut in 2013. BBC Sport described his current spell as the finest run of his UFC career, with the streak matching his longest sequence of UFC wins since 2014 after his victory over Terrance McKinney.
His recent run began with a split-decision success against Lance Gibson Jr last December. He has subsequently recorded stoppage wins over Daniel Zellhuber, Jeremy Stephens and McKinney, setting up the opportunity against Ribovics.
The sequence means Green has combined a decision victory with three finishes during this four-fight stretch. BBC Sport reported that the McKinney result matched the longest winning streak of Green’s UFC career since 2014, giving the bout with Ribovics added importance as he tries to extend that run.
The McKinney victory also brought Green a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus at UFC 329. BBC Sport reported that, in September and fewer than six weeks after that award, Green disclosed that he was temporarily without a permanent home and had been living from his car.
Green later explained that he was not without places to stay. He said friends occupied nine of his properties, while the end of a relationship had disrupted his move into another home. He said his priority had been making sure family and friends were accommodated.
Those circumstances form part of the backdrop to a fight that could advance Green’s 2026 record, but they do not alter the immediate competitive task. He will need to beat Ribovics to make the proposed fourth victory of the year a reality and move within one further win of the five-bout mark identified by BBC Sport.
Contract and rankings ambitions add to the stakes
Green has said he wants to return to the lightweight rankings, having been outside them since July 2024, and had sought a top-15 opponent after beating McKinney. BBC Sport reported that he viewed the contest with Ribovics as important with only two fights left on his present agreement.
The report said Green had been keen to reclaim a place in the rankings after his four-fight streak reached its current length. His contractual position means the result against Ribovics is relevant both to the calendar-year milestone and to what comes next in his UFC career.
He has also indicated that he understands the challenges facing an established fighter at this stage of his career. Green said he accepted that the UFC could use experienced athletes as tests for emerging prospects, while making clear that he intended to continue competing.
A fourth win would extend Green’s streak as he approaches the final two fights of his current UFC deal and pursues a return to the rankings. It would, however, extend a run that has already restored momentum for Green and leave him with a specific record-book target should he fight again before the end of the calendar year.
For Ribovics, the available evidence establishes only that he is Green’s next opponent in Salt Lake City. The central issue for Green is whether he can convert a four-fight winning streak into a fourth victory of the year, while carrying the pressure of a contract nearing its end.