Dan Ige was handsomely rewarded for stepping up at short notice to salvage UFC 303's co-main event.
Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC), who was getting a massage at home when the fight began at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, ended up taking the fight before the main event in arguably one of the most abrupt substitutions in UFC history.
Diego Lopez was scheduled to fight Brian Ortega, but fell ill on the day of the fight. Ige, who was living in Las Vegas and already attending a training camp, received a call from his manager and accepted the fight. At first, Ige thought his manager was saying that he was changing his opponent for his July 20 fight against Chepe Mariscal.
In the end, Ige hurriedly packed his things and quickly headed to the arena to prepare for that night's match.
The event has already seen a number of last-minute changes, including the main event, which sees Conor McGregor face Michael Chandler in a rematch of the light heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.
The co-main event was originally scheduled to be Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree, but injuries and changes led to Ortega vs. Lopez being scheduled for the morning of UFC 303. However, that matchup also didn't last long, with Ige filling in at short notice.
Though Ige lost a decision to Lopez (25-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC), the promotion well rewarded him for stepping up.
“I got all the prize money, the shows, the wins and so much more,” Ige told MMA Junkie Radio. “I got a new contract, I got paid well, I'm probably making double or triple what I normally make, so I got the money in my bank account today, which feels good.”
“But I had to pay it. I pay more now, but I'm blessed. I'm grateful and I'm happy. In a way, I wish I had more money, so I try not to be too greedy in my mind. But I believe I was paid fairly.”
Ige knew he was in a tricky situation as a last-minute replacement, but he also felt he should be compensated appropriately. He said he could have asked for more, but wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to compete in a same-day bout during International Fight Week.
“I wasn't going to just sit there and negotiate a contract,” Ige said, “and say, 'Give me $2 million,' and they're going to say, 'Okay, screw you.' They could have easily called it all off. This was a chance for me to become legendary and achieve something above and beyond that nobody has achieved in this era of the sport.”
Apart from the financial compensation, UFC CEO Dana White granted Ige's request to compete at Noche UFC at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Now he must wait to find out who he will share the cage with at the one-off event at this exclusive venue.
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