Less than five hours before he stepped in the cage Saturday, Dan Ige had no clue he’d be fighting in front of 20,000 people that same night.
While Ige’s surprise entry into the UFC 303 co-main event will forever be known as something of a legend, the history books will show Diego Lopes was the victor by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
The argument could be made there were no losers, however. Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) replaced an ill Brian Ortega four hours before the event. A special weigh-in was held before the bout was contested at 165 pounds at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
