UFC pay-per-view cards are no stranger to chaos – but the latest move from the company is the most “unprecedented” in the sport’s history.
In an extraordinary fight-day development, Dan Ige has stepped up to face Diego Lopes in the UFC 303 co-main event in a catchweight bout.
Ige, who lives close by to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, was in camp for a fight in a few weeks, but answered a late SOS call to replace the sick Brian Ortega.
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Lopes and Ortega were initially slated to compete in a featherweight fight, before it was changed to lightweight after the latter missed weight on Saturday (AEST) and became ill overnight, forcing the UFC into a last-minute change.
News began to filter through about Ige’s late inclusion, before commentator Jon Anik confirmed the news during the prelim card broadcast.
”He had a fever of 103 degrees [fahrenheit], after the weight cut he was sick in the evening and woke up and he was still sick,” Anik said.
“That brings us to what we have now, this is an unprecedented situation, because Diego Lopes is still fighting. He had to re-weigh in and did so at 161 pounds.
“We have an opponent and it’s Dan Ige, he lives right around the corner. He showed up and weighed in at 164 pounds. Our new-look co-main event is a catchweight bout.
“Ige has said he has been waiting for his whole life for this type of opportunity.”
UFC also revealed a text message from Ige to chief business officer Hunter Campbell, where he said “this is what legends are made of” after taking the last-minute call.
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Ige’s epic last-minute arrival for the pay-per-view failed to result in victory however, with Lopes earning the unanimous decision victory after three hard-fought rounds.
The UFC 303 card had already undergone a stack of changes since it was first announced, with Conor McGregor’s injury forcing him to postpone a clash with Michael Chandler.
Alex Pereira will defend his light-heavyweight title against Jiri Prochazka in the main event of the card in Vegas.