King Green opened the UFC 328 main card with a sharp, confident performance against veteran striker Jeremy Stephens, finishing the bout with a first-round rear-naked choke.
Green sets the pace early
Green came out with relaxed movement and quick hands, inviting Stephens into exchanges while keeping his guard deceptively low. The early reads were all his. He beat Stephens to the jab and forced the veteran into reacting rather than initiating.
Stephens tried to close the distance and impose pressure, but Green’s timing disrupted any sustained rhythm. A stiff left jab landed clean, briefly halting Stephens’ forward momentum.
Takedown turns the fight
The key sequence came shortly after when Green changed levels and executed a well-timed double-leg takedown. Once the fight hit the mat, the pace shifted completely.
Green immediately advanced position and began working from the top with steady ground-and-pound. Elbows and punches forced Stephens to shell up, limiting any meaningful defensive movement.
From there, Green stayed patient, never rushing the finish. Instead, he worked through control positions until the opening appeared.
Submission finish and post-fight moment
As Stephens attempted to defend from underneath, Green transitioned to the back and secured a tight rear-naked choke. The grip was locked in cleanly. Stephens had no escape route and tapped at 4:20 of Round 1.
After the win, Green made his case for recognition from UFC leadership, directing comments toward executives while addressing his reputation as a consistently entertaining fighter.
“Hey Hunter, hey Dana, I’m one of the most exciting men to ever touch this mat,”
“I’ve been doing it for years and ain’t nothing going to change. I didn’t get my bonus last time so I had to tell them that.”
He continued:
“You can submit me, you can knock me out, but I feel like I’m Michael Myers, you can’t kill me!”
Did Stephens retire tonight?
Stephens exited the cage without speaking to reporters and removed his gloves following the fight, a gesture that often signals retirement in MMA. No official announcement followed inside the Octagon.
Green, meanwhile, extended his winning streak to three fights and added another first-round finish to his UFC resumé.