"I asked him to let me fight" - Bobby Green reveals he tried to counter referee Herb Dean's first-round stoppage in Islam Makhachev bout

Bobby Green (left), Herb Dean (middle), Islam Makhachev (right) [Image credits: @ufc via Instagram]

The much-anticipated bout between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green ended after the fast-rising Dagestani star rained down heavy strikes on the veteran fighter, leaving him with no room to escape.

The deadly and repeated hammer fists to Green's head prompted referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the contest at 3:23 of the opening round.

While many do not deny the legitimacy of the stoppage, the 35-year-old Green believes he deserved more time to try and break free from the position. Taking to his Instagram stories, Green wrote:

"I wish Herb would have gave me more time I asked him to let me fight"

#UFCVegas49 https://t.co/bRCMmhonjd

Bobby Green accepted the fight against Islam Makhachev on 10 days notice after Beneil Dariush pulled out with an injury. After losing the bout via TKO, 'King' expressed interest in a rematch, with a full camp to prepare this time around.

Watch Bobby Green's full post-fight interview at UFC Vegas 49 in the video below:

Islam Makhachev eyes title fight after impressive win

It didn't take long for Islam Makhachev to impose his will on Bobby Green. After an impressive first-round finish, the former Sambo champion is being seen by many as the de facto No. 1 contender in his division.

With an impressive 10-fight win streak, the 30-year-old will settle for nothing less than a title shot. During the post-fight interview, Makhachev stated that he wants his next UFC appearance to be a title fight:

"I was waiting for Beneil. I think he fixes his problem very soon and we're going to meet him. I just want the title fight. No more. I'm tired about all these. I need title fight. I'm ready, I'm here. Always ready, always training hard. Just tell me when and where, and that's it. I'm gonna take this belt and wait for him [Dariush] there."

Watch Makhachev's post-fight interview at UFC Vegas 49 below:

With Makhachev turning his attention to a bigger fish, it's doubtful that the unranked Bobby Green will get his wish for a rematch anytime soon. As for Makhachev's title aspirations, he may finally get the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje, who will square off at UFC 274.