Bryan Battle says having hometown fight in the UFC is a “dream come true,” believes he’s a “step ahead” of Gabe Green

Bryan Battle is getting a homecoming of sorts.

Battle is set for his fifth UFC fight after winning TUF 29 at middleweight and will be taking on Gabe Green at UFC Charlotte. Although the fight is in his hometown, he wasn’t booked on the card until he saw Jake Matthews pulled out of his bout with Gabe Green and asked his manager to get him that fight.

“Instagram is crazy. That is how I got my last two fights, with Rinat a random fan tagged me in a post that said Rinat’s opponent pulled out. I messaged my agent and he made it happen,” Battle said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “This one, I had a teammate send me a post saying Jake Matthews pulled out and I messaged Jason House again and I told him I would love that fight. Six weeks is not really short notice to me, I stay in fight shape anyway.”

Once Battle got the fight and found out the card was in Charlotte, North Carolina, he says the walkout and the entire experience will be surreal.

“It’s my people, my family, my friends, my teammates, the people in the area, the MMA fan who support me because I represent Charlotte, it’s going to be tremendous,” Battle said. “When dreams and nightmares comes on and my name comes on the screen, I’m expecting the energy to be crazy. It’s a dream come true.”

Although Bryan Battle is excited to fight at home at UFC Charlotte, he knows his scrap will be a tough one. However, Battle is confident he will be too skilled for Green and will get the win but is uncertain if he will get a stoppage as he knows Green is durable as they come.

“He’s never been finished in the UFC, he’s 2-2. But, he’s a really tough, really durable guy and pretty aggressive,” Battle said. “He’s getting better, that is what I noticed watching his fights… I think I am a step ahead, Gabe could prove me wrong, but in every area of the game, I feel I got something for him.”

Should Battle get the win, he’s uncertain what a win does for him but he hopes to have an active 2023.

“Winning is always good, it matters more on how I win. If I win in dominating fashion, I’m right where Ian Garry is right now. If I finish him, I think that elevates me a little bit more,” Battle concluded.

Do you think Bryan Battle will beat Gabe Green at UFC Charlotte?