Bobby Green was scheduled to fight Jim Miller at UFC 276 in July, but was pulled from the contest for undisclosed reasons.
Green (29-13-1 MMA, 10-8-1 UFC) took it upon himself to explain what occurred, revealing that a failed USADA drug test led to the bout cancelation.
“I was supposed to do this live last week, but the people, the powers that be told me I shouldn’t do it,” Green said on a video posted to Instagram. “I’m not supposed to do it now, but f*ck it. … So, I want to tell you guys something, I want to tell you a story. I’ll tell you why I didn’t fight when I was supposed to fight Jim Miller.”
Green, 36, began his story in the 36-minute long video by explaining his attraction to all-natural supplements that could help keep his body operating at a high level so he can keep an “edge” as he gets older. He even flipped his phone camera and walked over to his cabinet to show multiple bottles of various supplements suggested by Joe Rogan, The Liver King, and others that he was eager to try. However, unbeknownst to him, one of those supplements was on the banned substance list.
“I’m training now, I’m getting ready to fight Jim Miller,” Green said. “They called me and said, ‘Hey, what have you been taking? You tested positive for testosterone.’ I’m like, what? What? In 20 years, I’ve never tested positive for anything. In 20 years of my sport. What do you mean? … So I come back, take all the pictures, show them all those bottles. They go, ‘Hey, it’s that one right there. DHEA. That’s a banned substance on our list, and you’re now in failure, and the fight is off.’ A week before the fight. I’m crushed.”
Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA, is a prohibited substance in and out of sport competition that falls under the category of anabolic agents, according to USADA.
“I would never try to cheat,” Green said. “I would never try to lie to my public. I’m against drugs, I’m against PEDs. I would never even think about those things. I’ve never even looked at the site to know what is banned and what is not. I don’t give a f*ck because I don’t pay attention to drugs. That’s not my issue.”
Green explained how he could potentially face a longer suspension if he revealed the details about the situation too early, or if USADA didn’t like how he expressed himself when discussing it publicly. The current length of Green’s suspension is unclear. First-time offenders could face a suspension of one or two years.
“It is what it is,” Green said. “If that’s what they want to do, give me more time because I took something from Walmart that I had no idea was a banned substance, so be it. But, I do want to let you guys know that it’s not USADA’s fault.
“It’s my fault. I’m taken wrong in this. I f*cked up and I take responsibility. I was a jackass. I’m the one that made the mistake. I take all responsibility. … I apologize to my friends, my family. My son was supposed to come to this. Like, guys, I was f*cked up. When they told me about this sh*t I cried for like three or four days, I’m not gonna lie.”
The UFC 276 bout against Miller was the third attempt by the promotion to pair the two veterans. They were first scheduled to meet at UFC 172 in 2014 and again at UFC 258, when Green collapsed backstage after weigh-ins.
