The co-main event of UFC 303 marks history for the UFC, with Dan Ige stepping up on just 5 hours’ notice to fight with rising Mexican standout Diego Lopes. Brian Ortega pulled out on fight night leaving a massive gap in the co-main event which Ige was happy to fill.
Dan Ige vs. Diego Lopes Preview
Diego Lopes has enjoyed an incredible run of success since he first joined the UFC a year ago. Lopes’ first appearance in the UFC came with a loss when he stepped up on short notice to take on Movsar Evloev at UFC 288. Despite the loss, many fans praised Lopes’ ability to compete with top-ranked featherweights in just his first UFC fight. Lopes went on to put together an extremely impressive three-fight winning streak following the loss, with all of the fights ending in less than 100 seconds. He capped things off when he knocked out ranked contender Sodiq Yusuff in just 89 seconds at UFC 300 in April. Lopes looks to continue his spectacular UFC run against his toughest competition to date when he faces Dan Ige.
Dan Ige pulls off one of the most savage moves in UFC history with this late step-in. With Ortega pulling out on fight night, Ige quickly threw his name in the hat and rushed to the venue for the fight. Ige had already completed medicals in Las Vegas from his February fight with Andre Fili, a fight that ended in a first-round KO for Ige. Despite this being a short-notice fight for both men, Ige was preparing to face Chepe Mariscal on July 20th. This move marks the first time in UFC history that a fighter stepped in hours before a fight was scheduled. Dan Ige’s name will go down in the history of the sport for this incredibly bold and heroic move.
Fight Recap
The fight started in the center of the cage with minimal action until Lopes landed a big combination. The two started exchanging big strikes in the pocket with Lopes being the aggressor and pulling away early. Lopes started to sit on the back foot and landed sharp counters as Ige stepped in. A missed punch by Ige initiated a clinch that gave Lopes the chance to use his dirty boxing and crack Ige. The strikes led to a takedown by Ige but Lopes immediately went after the guillotine. He chained the guillotine with a d’arce choke that was escaped by Ige before the end of the round.
A big early leg kick and some sharp counters gave Diego Lopes a great start to the second round. A head kick from Ige was caught by Lopes and followed with a takedown. Lopes worked to the back with ease and locked in a body triangle while landing pestering strikes to the head. Lopes held back control throughout the rest of the round while both men took turns landing ground and pound.
Ige came out knowing he’d need a finish in Round 3 to win the fight. He came out pressuring, looking to land big strikes on Lopes while pushing him towards the cage. A massive right hand connected but Lopes took it strong and unsuccessfully attempted to get the fight to the ground. Another massive right hand from Ige lit the crowd up and showed a glimmer of hope. Lopes attempted another takedown and got to the cage while on Ige’s back but was forced off and reversed. ’50k’ landed some massive elbows from the top to close out the fight but was unable to get the finish he needed as the final bell sounded.
The scorecards read 29-28×3 to give Diego Lopes the Unanimous Decision win in his toughest test to date.
UFC Fighters Show Respect to Diego Lopes and Dan Ige
What did you think of Diego Lopes’ performance and the madness of Dan Ige stepping in last-second? Let us know in the comments below!
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