Challenges continue to confront Adrien Broner as he plans a potential comeback to professional boxing. The former four-division champion has not fought since his upset loss to Blair Cobbs two years ago. Forced by inactivity and a lack of matchups, Broner pivoted to live streaming to ensure a steady source of income.

But here, too, he continues to face challenges. The latest one, captured live on his Kick stream, came from outside the ring. Adrien Broner found himself in an awkward position after UFC lightweight fighter Bobby Ray Green, or more commonly King Green, walked into his underground warehouse gym. Reportedly, Broner is holding a 45-day “Locked-In-A-Thon.” One thing led to another, and soon Broner found himself in a brief but heated exchange with Green. After they came across the footage, several users felt the UFC fighter unnerved the former boxing champion.

“Fans are starting to question if Adrien Broner is intimidated by Bobby Green after Bobby confronted him and AB appeared to avoid the situation. 😳,” the X post of the news channel Akademiks TV read.

The concerns likely surfaced from Broner’s reaction and body language after Green started speaking with him. Standing inside the ring, in full boxing gear, the UFC lightweight had reportedly made short work of Broner’s prodigy, Anthony “Bang” Williams, who holds a 19-1 professional record.

“You said you going to be shi**ing on my leg,” looking at Broner, Green taunted. When the former boxing champion replied that he would, Green fired back that he may not be able to do so in his current physical condition.

When Broner continued to argue that conditioning would not play any role once they traded shots, Green acknowledged it wouldn’t have had he faced a prime Broner. “I’ll pick your heart chest, bro. Smoking and chilling. I told you this was fun. I don’t even I’m playing,” he said.

The subsequent footage showed Broner sitting away from the ring alongside an associate, murmuring, “I’m giving you elbows.”

With Broner making those bizarre comments, the whole drama proved too much for some fans who immediately started posting their reactions.

Adrien Broner faces online backlash after tense run-in with King Green

“Mf so scared he talking bout hitting him w elbows 😹😹😹 dude washed and yall so bu** hurt yall can’t admit it. There was nun but space in that ring, and mf goes to the other side the warehouse and pops it. And Bobby older than him; he turns 40 in September,” one fan wrote bluntly.

Their remarks carried some weight. For all his trash talk, Green, who will turn forty next month, backed his words with actions. Meanwhile, Broner, despite being three years junior, is sitting atop what many view as a career squandered by indiscipline.

Offering a more realistic take, another user stated, “If elbows are allowed like AB said and they use no headgear, AB is getting his shit rocked and humbled.” The very fact that Broner mentioned elbows could be surprising to a few. For a boxer who has spent so much time inside a ring, how it would be possible to use an elbow when he is not trained to use the tactic remains puzzling.

Then again, it’s worth remembering that Broner previously claimed he nearly got into a squabble with an inebriated Jon Jones.

“The amount of stamina and endurance needed to go 12 rounds sounds kinda crazy. In a street fight, most people got 1-2 minutes, tops. AB knows he been smoking, chilling, and having a GREAT year, but he would get erased lol,” another fan said.

That’s another point worth considering. While no one questions Broner’s technical skills, a long period of inactivity must have led to some ring rust, where going the full distance in a twelve-rounder might become a nightmare even for a professional like him. Also his last 12-round bout took place five years ago.

One fan tried defending Broner by saying, “AB is not scared, but I feel like he knows the reality of his condition.” Echoing similar sentiments, another added, “AB is not intimidated by anyone. He, like every man who has fallen, is questioning his readiness. That’s all. Period.”

Taken together, it would be premature to say that a professional boxer who has been training since he was six years old and has been through over 300 amateur bouts before recording over forty professional fights will be intimidated by a fight.

The way to properly assess the situation, as one user correctly pointed out, is that given his current situation, with him looking out of shape and perhaps needing a refresher on skills, Broner must have felt it would be wise for him to back away with his neck held high.

After all, “discretion is the better part of valor.”