Dan Ige did the unimaginable at UFC 303 this previous weekend (June 29, 2024).
Blended martial arts (MMA) followers across the globe anticipated to see Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes in an thrilling Featherweight co-main occasion showdown heading into Worldwide Struggle Week 2024. Sadly for Ortega, that each one modified on the newest second potential.
The 2-time title challenger, Ortege, fell in poor health on struggle day, forcing his withdrawal that led to arguably the craziest struggle scramble in UFC historical past. On 4 hours’ discover, the promotion dialed up fellow ranked Featherweight, Ige, and miraculously slotted him into the match up with Lopes. Regardless of dropping a enjoyable three-round unanimous resolution on the judges’ scorecard, Ige’s general inventory solely elevated.
“For no recreation planning, nothing, simply going on the market and having enjoyable and preventing, I assumed I did fairly effectively,” Ige instructed MMA Junkie. “In a approach, it felt like I received. I received a number of notoriety, I received followers, I obtained UFC favor, and it feels good. You don’t usually really feel like this after a loss on a Tuesday, however the quantity of simply love and respect that I obtained from individuals, followers, the media, right here we’re, man. What a fricking wild evening.”
Earlier than Ige’s heroics, he was anticipated to return later this month in Las Vegas (July 20, 2024). Amid his typical restoration routines, Ige recalled conserving his cellphone silent earlier than calls shifted to his spouse as his supervisor and UFC CBO, Hunter Campbell, rang him 10 instances.
When knowledgeable of the happenings and struggle proposal, Ige didn’t even imagine it was potential to step in. In the end, he scrambled to get some power by means of some fast eats and water consumption earlier than taking off to the sector and making the 165-pound Catchweight restrict. Don’t anticipate to see one thing like this once more anytime quickly if ever.
“My therapeutic massage therapist was at my home, she labored on my complete household, I used to be the final one,” Ige mentioned. “I obtained on the desk round 3 p.m. I had an hour and a half booked, and I had no clue I’d be preventing.
“I used to be simply preparing for Monday, recovering and preparing for Sunday after which Monday as a result of I used to be preparing for a struggle [on July 20], so I used to be simply getting my physique proper,” he concluded.
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