Rising UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes paid tribute to Dan Ige after the pair faced off in a UFC 303 co-main event bout that only came together a few hours before the fight itself.
In a turbulent fight week for Lopes, the Brazilian was all set to face longtime featherweight contender Brian Ortega, but due to issues the American was having with his weight cut, he received call the night before the weigh-ins asking if he could accept the fight at lightweight instead.
Lopes duly agreed, adjusted his weight cut and made weight for the newly-arranged 155-pound matchup. Then, with just a few hours to go before his co-main event bout, news filtered through that Ortega had been taken ill and was unable to fight.
Remarkably, fellow UFC featherweight contender Dan Ige offered to step in on just a few hours’ notice, and the pair engaged in an entertaining battle that went all the way to the judges’ scorecards.
Lopes took the victory via unanimous decision, and hailed his opponent for agreeing to step in on such late notice to help him stay on the UFC International Fight Week event.
“All of the respect to Dan Ige,” he said.
“Not many guys take a fight with three hours’ notice. This is all for Dan Ige. Thank you, bro!”
Lopes then recounted his crazy fight week, and stated that, regardless of the upheaval, changes of weight class and opponent, he was always ready to step into the Octagon and fight.
“I said yesterday at the weigh-ins: Whomever, wherever, whenever, however. I’ll fight anybody,” he declared.
“And I thought, hey 145. And then I got the news at four o’clock in the morning it’s gonna be 155. And then today at 4pm I found out that this fight was changing. It doesn’t matter.
”Whomever whenever, it doesn’t matter I’ll fight anybody.”
And Lopes signed off by staking a claim for a spot on the UFC’s upcoming card at Sphere, where he said he’d face anyone, even former champion Alexander Volkanovski.
“Oh easy. I spoke to the UFC. Put me on the Sphere,” he stated.
“If it’s gonna be Ortega, if it’s gonna be Volkanovski, we’re ready for it.”
UFC 303: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Alex Pereira def. Jiri Prochazka via TKO (head kick and punches) – Round 2, 0:13
- Diego Lopes def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Roman Dolidze def. Anthony Smith via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Macy Chiasson def. Mayra Bueno Silva via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 2, 1:58
- Ian Machado Garry def. Michael Page via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Joe Pyfer def. Marc-Andre Barriault via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:25
- Andre Fili def. Cub Swanson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 1:22
- Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:19
EARLY PRELIMS
- Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Martin Buday def. Andrei Arlovski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
- Rei Tsuruya def. Carlos Hernandez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
