Beneil Dariush out, Bobby Green in to face Islam Makhachev at UFC Fight Night 202

UFC Vegas 49 has a new headliner, with one of the standout performers from UFC 271 set for a swift turnaround.

Lightweight Bobby Green, who wowed the crowd at Toyota Center in Houston as he outpointed Nasrat Haqparast to earn a unanimous decision victory last weekend, has been drafted in as a short-notice replacement to face surging Russian contender Islam Makhachev in a 160-pound catchweight main event on Saturday, February 26.

Makhachev was scheduled to face fellow grappling ace Beneil Dariush, but after a training injury ruled Dariush out of the event, UFC officials moved quickly to add Green to the card. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, and means that “King” will be taking on the first main event assignment of his UFC career, in his 19th fight for the promotion.

Per sources, Bobby Green (@BobbyKGreen) vs. Islam Makhachev (@MAKHACHEVMMA) will be contested at 160 pound catchweight. Main event, Feb. 26. Five rounds.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 17, 2022

Green has an overall record of 29-12-1, with a 10-7-1 record inside the UFC octagon, but his last three fights have seen his stock rise to new heights within the promotion.

His unanimous decision defeat to Rafael Fiziev may have put another loss on his record, but his performance helped earn both men Fight of the Night honors.

He then followed up with another bonus-winning performance as he TKO’d former title challenger Al Iaquinta at UFC 268 to earn a Performance of the Night check.

And his most recent showing at UFC 271 was arguably good enough to earn another bonus, though he eventually missed out after a spectacular night of fights in Texas.

His reward came later, with a main event shot against a legitimate title contender offering him the chance to catapult himself into title contention ahead of the summer.

He’ll be up against it, however, with 21-1 contender Makhachev riding a nine-fight win streak, including submission finishes in each of his last three outings, against Drew Dober, Thiago Moises and Dan Hooker.