In a light-hearted exchange, GWS captain Toby Greene has been playfully challenged by UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to enter the octagon. During a recent episode of the show “Players,” Volkanovski, who successfully reclaimed his title in April against Brazil’s Diego Lopes, jested about looking for a match-up in the featherweight division and suggested Greene as an opponent.
Volkanovski declared, “We’ve got this tough guy Toby Greene who thinks he’s up for the challenge. I want to challenge you to a UFC fight,” adding a cheeky note about his allegiance to the Sydney Swans, the AFL club rivaling Greene’s GWS Giants. Greener, despite admitting he’s open to playful banter, responded with a laugh, pointing out that Volkanovski’s weight of 65kg makes him smaller than himself at 181cm and 77kg.
While Greene has experienced his share of physical altercations throughout his AFL career—accumulatively receiving 15 suspensions and fines totalling $35,600—he is not keen on stepping into mixed martial arts. “UFC is not for me. I love watching it and boxing, but I’m not fighting him,” Greene stated, expressing admiration for Volkanovski’s achievements in the sport while understanding the brutal nature of UFC fighting.
As Greene prepares his team for an upcoming match against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, he aims to bounce back from a recent defeat to his Sydney rivals in round eight. The banter between the two athletes highlights the fun interactions between codes and showcases Greene’s respectful stance towards Volkanovski’s prowess in the UFC arena.