LAS VEGAS — Diego Lopes picked up a significant win towards a ranked opponent at UFC 303 on Saturday — it simply did not come towards Brian Ortega.
Lopes (25-6) prolonged his successful streak to 4 by defeating Dan Ige by unanimous resolution in a bout that happened at a catchweight of 165 kilos attributable to unimaginable circumstances.
Lopes was alleged to struggle Ortega on the 145-pound featherweight restrict, however that modified to 155 kilos on Friday after Ortega had hassle making weight. Ortega was then scratched from the bout altogether on Saturday, and Ige took his place in what’s believed to be the shortest-notice struggle in fashionable UFC historical past.
Lopes practically submitted Ige with a D’Arce within the opening spherical and threatened to choke him from the again within the second, however Ige persevered and rallied and even had Lopes in hassle within the third. With about two minutes left, Lopes dove for a single leg-takedown that may have saved him from additional hazard. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Lopes.
“All respect to Dan Ige,” Lopes stated. Not many guys take a struggle on three hours’ discover. Whomever, wherever, nevertheless. I used to be going to struggle at 145 kilos. At 4 within the morning [day of weigh-in] it was 155 kilos. At this time, I came upon the struggle was altering once more. It would not matter. I’ll struggle anyone.”
Ige, 32, lives and trains in Las Vegas and accepted the struggle on the afternoon of UFC 303. He weighed in at 164.5 kilos, whereas Lopes re-weighed in at 161 kilos after hitting the light-weight mark the day earlier than.
“I used to be actually getting a therapeutic massage after I bought the decision, ‘Do you wish to struggle tonight?'” Ige stated. “To point out up on 4 hours’ discover on one of many greatest playing cards of the 12 months, I could not be happier with my efficiency.”
Neither Lopes nor Ige was initially alleged to struggle at UFC 303. Lopes accepted the Ortega bout on two weeks’ discover after an damage to Conor McGregor threw the cardboard into disarray. Lopes has appeared the a part of a featherweight title contender as of late, with three consecutive first-round finishes. He confirmed off his killer intuition once more on Saturday with the D’Arce try, however the veteran Ige refused to faucet and survived to the tip of the primary spherical.
Within the third, Ige introduced the gang to life with a number of exhausting left hooks to Lopes’ physique and head. Lopes appeared winded and dropped to his knees and grabbed for Ige’s lead leg. He did not get the takedown immediately however chain wrestled his method into a vital takedown. Ige did handle to get again up, however the takedown sapped treasured break day the clock and power from Ige.
Ige drops to 3-2 in his previous 5. He was scheduled to struggle July 20 previous to taking Saturday’s bout. He expressed curiosity in preventing on the UFC’s deliberate present on the Las Vegas Sphere in September.