This is the UFC 303 live blog for Diego Lopes vs. Dan Ige the co-main event fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Who saw this one coming? Up until just a couple hours ago, this fight was supposed to be Lopes taking on two-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega. But things change quickly in the UFC, and earlier today, Ortega was forced out of the fight due to illness. Normally in this situation, the fight just gets scrapped and it’s an unfortunate weekend for Lopes, but the MMA Gods and the powers that be decided to take mercy on the 2023 MMA Fighting Rookie of the Year with an 11th hour opponent swap.
Dan Ige, who lives in Las Vegas, was sitting at home when the UFC realized Ortega wouldn’t be able to fight, and the longtime veteran decided stake his claim for the most badass move of 2024 by offering to step in against Lopes on just a couple hours notice. After some finagling with the Nevada Athletic Commission, the fight was booked, and now we have a truly unprecedented event.
Check out the UFC 303 co-main event live blog below.