King Green Frustrated with Stoppage in UFC 332 Loss to Esteban Ribovics

Lightweight veteran King Green came away frustrated with how his UFC 332 bout ended on Saturday, believing referee Herb Dean intervened too early during his first-round loss to Esteban Ribovics.

During the fight, Ribovics knocked Green down several times in rapid succession. Although Green remained conscious throughout the barrage, he found himself in serious trouble. When Green dropped to the canvas one final time, Dean made the judgment call to step in and halt the lightweight contest to protect the veteran from taking further punishment.

Following the defeat, Green took to Instagram to voice his disappointment with the referee's decision, explaining that he wanted more time to stage a comeback. "I told myself regardless or not, I'm not going to be mad at myself but I'm a little mad," Green said. "I told Herb, this is going to get sticky. It was a great fight."

Prior to the event, Green had been riding a four-fight winning streak, with UFC CEO Dana White acknowledging his strong position in the division. While the defeat halts Green's immediate pursuit of a title shot, he still received one of the loudest ovations of the night from the crowd.