If anyone was crazy enough to fight on four-hour notice at UFC 303 and then back out a few weeks later, it'd be Dan Ige, but that won't be the case for his return fight.
Veteran featherweight boxer Ige made history when he accepted a fight against Diego Lopez just hours before stepping into the Octagon. Though he lost by decision, Ige earned a lot of respect not only for accepting the fight, but for giving Lopez his all over the course of three rounds.
Unfortunately, Ige suffered a minor injury during the fight that will prevent him from returning to fight against Chepe Mariscal at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on July 20. The good news is that UFC CEO Dana White has said he's willing to grant Ige and Lopez pretty much whatever they want next time around, in an attempt to save UFC 303.
“I mean, shit, my leg hurts right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen, and July 20th will come, I’ll wake up, I’ll get out of bed and I’ll feel like I want to fight that day,” Ige said with a laugh in an interview with MMA Fighting, “but realistically, I want to wait.
“I want to fight in the Sphere. I think my plan was to fight on July 20th and pick a Sphere opponent. I think that would make sense. With what we've done and Dana's assurances that we can make it happen, I'm going to give it my all. We'll see what happens. Will it be Diego or Yair? [Rodriguez]”Will it be Chape? I don't know. I think it's going to be a big fight. Whoever it is, it's going to be a big fight in the Sphere.”
UFC 306, which also marks the second-ever NocheUFC event celebrating Mexican Independence Day, will take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14.
White has hinted on multiple occasions that UFC has invested heavily in the event in order to pull off one of the biggest fights of all time in the massive $2.3 billion arena.
That’s exactly why Ige wants to be on the card and is open to whoever the UFC puts him against.
Could a rematch with Lopez take place, with both fighters having a full training camp to really prepare for each other?
“I don't know what's going to happen, but we solidified our legends here,” Ige said of Lopez. “Would we fight again? I don't know. He has a lot of respect for me and I have a lot of respect for him. That being said, it could be a fun fight. We'll give each other time and opportunity, we'll have a game plan, we'll study each other, and we'll both be fighting at 145 pounds so there won't be any weird fluctuations. I'm not going to sit here and criticize him and say, 'If I'd had two more minutes I would have won!' Because it doesn't matter.”
“I think we'll just have to sit back and see what happens. UFC is smart and obviously they're very good at their job and they can get things done in four hours so something can happen. I'm going to have faith in whatever they do. Let's see what happens.”
Over the past few years, Ige has developed an uncanny knack for picking a specific opponent and then having UFC make his wish come true, and that was his plan when the fight was scheduled for July 20, with the hope of getting another shot at UFC 306 in September.
Now, Ige feels that because of the goodwill he's received at UFC and the praise he's received from fans, he's in a position where he doesn't need to put anyone's name forward to land a featured opponent.
“I don't think I need to blame anybody at this point,” Ige said. “If I were to run against anyone on July 20 and win, I'd have to make that blame. But what I've done now is [at UFC 303]Now I'm getting attention. Now I'm getting attention. That's what people do. They want people's attention.
“I've watched Diego grow up, and I'm like, 'This fight is amazing,' because I want that fight. I want stardom. I want fame. We've got it now. Whoever it is, it's going to be a big fight.”
Ige is currently dealing with a sore foot but is confident he'll be back in the gym soon, and the short notice nature of the bout at UFC 303 means he'll also have a new contract in mind when he does compete again.
“I signed a one-time contract specifically for this fight, but I've signed a new contract,” Ige said. “I'm getting the biggest payday I've ever been in. I'm happy. I'm happy with where I'm at. UFC has always taken care of me.
“I'm just taking this week off to let my body recover and will be back soon as I'm not suffering any serious injuries. My leg is a little sore from that motherfucker kicking me, but other than that I'm fine. I'll be good to go in September.”
