Less than five hours before he entered the cage on Saturday, Dan Ige I had no idea I would be fighting in front of 20,000 people that very night.
Although 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 winner by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
It can be argued that there were no losers, however. Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) replaced the ill Brian Ortega four hours before the event. A special weigh-in was held before the fight was contested at 165 pounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
When Lopes (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) showed powerful striking in the first round before dragging the fight to the canvas with submission attempts. The second round was more of the same, as Ige fought to get the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt off of him.
In the third round, however, Ige came out strong. His cardio was beyond that of Lopes, who seemed to wear out as the round progressed. Ige got on top of Lopes late in the fight and landed some ground and pound strikes before the bell.
After the fight, the fighters hugged each other and went to UFC CEO, Dana White. During the cage interviews, both men asked for a place in the next UFC 306 card at Sphere in Las Vegas.
With the victory, Lopes continues to advance in the pack of the best featherweights in the promotion. Before Saturday’s victory, he submitted Sodiq Yusuff for an 89 second technical knockout at the UFC 300.
Ige had a three-fight winning streak snapped with the loss. Before accepting Saturday’s co-main event, Ige was preparing for his July 20 fight against Jose Marsical.
Updated UFC 303 results include:
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Diego Lopes defeated. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Roman Dolidze defeated. Anthony Smith by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
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Macy Chiasson defeated. Mayra Bueno Silva by TKO (medical stoppage, cut) – Round 2, 1:58
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Ian Machado Garry x Michael Page
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Joe Pyfer defeated. Marc-Andre Barriault by knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:25
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André Fili defeated. Cub Swanson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Jean Silva defeated. Charles Jourdain by knockout (punch) – Round 2, 1:22
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Payton Talbott defeated. Yanis Ghemmouri by knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:19
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Gillian Robertson defeated. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Martin Buday defeated. Andrei Arlovski via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
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King Tsuruya defeated. Carlos Hernández by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Vinícius Oliveira defeated. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
Vinicius Oliveira – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Vinicius Oliveira – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Ricky Simon x Vinicius Oliveira – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Ricky Simon x Vinicius Oliveira – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Ricky Simon x Vinicius Oliveira – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Vinícius Oliveira defeated. Ricky Simon, UFC 303 scorecard
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Rei Tsuruya – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Rei Tsuruya – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Carlos Hernandez x Rei Tsuruya – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Carlos Hernandez x Rei Tsuruya – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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King Tsuruya defeated. Carlos Hernandez, UFC 303 scoreboard
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Martin Buday – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Martin Buday – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Andrei Arlovski x Martin Buday – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Andrei Arlovski x Martin Buday – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Martin Buday defeated. Andrei Arlovski, UFC 303 scorecard
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Gillian Robertson – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Gillian Robertson – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez at UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez at UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Gillian Robertson defeated. Michelle Waterson-Gomez, UFC 303 scores
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Payton Talbott – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Payton Talbott – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Payton Talbott x Yanis Ghemmouri – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Payton Talbott x Yanis Ghemmouri – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Payton Talbott defeated. Yanis Ghemmouri, UFC 303 scores
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Jean Silva – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Jean Silva – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Charles Jourdain x Jean Silva – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Charles Jourdain x Jean Silva – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Jean Silva defeated. Charles Jourdain, UFC 303 scorecard
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Andre Fili – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Andre Fili – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Cub Swanson x Andre Fili – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Cub Swanson x Andre Fili – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Cub Swanson x Andre Fili – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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André Fili defeated. Cub Swanson, UFC 303 scorecard
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Joe Pyfer – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Joe Pyfer – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Joe Pyfer x Marc-Andre Barriault – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Joe Pyfer x Marc-Andre Barriault – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Joe Pyfer defeated. Score by Marc-André Barriault
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Ian Machado Garry – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Ian Machado Garry – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Ian Machado Garry x Michael Page at the UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Ian Machado Garry x Michael Page
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Ian Machado Garry defeated. Michael Page, UFC 303 scorecard
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Macy Chiasson – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Macy Chiasson – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Mayra Bueno Silva x Macy Chiasson at UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Mayra Bueno Silva x Macy Chiasson
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Macy Chiasson defeated. Mayra Bueno Silva, UFC 303 score
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Roman Dolidze – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Roman Dolidze – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
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Roman Dolidze x Anthony Smith – UFC 303 ceremonial weigh-in
Anthony Smith x Roman Dolidze
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Roman Dolidze defeated. Anthony Smith, UFC 303 scorecard
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