LAS VEGAS — In an unprecedented turn of events, Brian Ortega was forced to withdraw from his UFC 303 co-main event fight with Diego Lopes due to illness. Dan Ige, who was not initially scheduled to compete, stepped in as his replacement.
The fight took place at a catchweight of 165 pounds, with Lopes securing a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
This marked the first time a fighter replaced another on the day of the fight without weighing in the day before. Ige, who was in attendance at T-Mobile Arena, managed to weigh in at 164.5 pounds just hours before the fight, while Lopes weighed in at 161.5 pounds. Both fighters quickly agreed to proceed, keeping the injury-ridden fight card intact.
“It doesn’t matter — eight weeks, six weeks, four weeks, four hours,” Ige said in his Octagon interview after the fight. “It doesn’t matter. This is what I live for. This is my dream. I get to wake up and do what I love.”
Upon hearing the co-main event was in jeopardy, Ige sent a direct message to UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell at 4:18 p.m., less than three hours before the main card began.
“Hey Hunter, I’ve been in camp for three months,” the message read. “I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been, I can fight this guy tonight and beat him. This is what legends are made of. I’m in. I’m ready. I’m in great shape. Please don’t take this opportunity away from me.”
Ortega had been slated to face Lopes in the co-main event on short notice after Conor McGregor’s broken toe forced him out of the main event against Michael Chandler just over two weeks before the event. Ortega struggled to cut weight for the scheduled featherweight bout at 145 pounds and negotiated to move the fight to lightweight (155 pounds) early Friday morning.
At the official weigh-in on Friday morning, Ortega appeared visibly unwell, and reports surfaced of his illness as UFC 303 was underway.
Ige’s appearance at UFC 303 was his first since his first-round knockout victory over Andre Fili in February.
