Dan Ige replaces Brian Ortega in shocking 11th-hour UFC 303 co-main event change vs. Diego Lopes

Don’t fear, Dan Ige (and Diego Lopes) saved the day.

On hours’ discover, Ige (18-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) stepped into the UFC 303 co-main occasion, in what may very well be the shortest-notice battle within the promotion’s fashionable period.

Not even anticipated to compete on the cardboard, Ige now faces Lopes (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at Saturday’s occasion at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas.

Ige replaces Brian Ortega, who withdrew from the bout on account of sickness. The bout will happen at a catchweight of 165 kilos. Ige weighed in at 164.5 kilos, proven on the ESPN prelim broadcast. Lopes, although he was contracted to battle at 145 kilos, acquired moved to 155 … and now 165.

The change was introduced shortly earlier than the primary card broadcast.

A number of events concerned together with the 2 fighters, Ige’s coach Eric Nicksick, of Xtreme Couture, and Lopes’ supervisor Jason Home, of Iridium Sports activities Company, cryptically alluded to the change.

The unique matchup between Lopes and Ortega was booked on quick discover and first scheduled for featherweight. It shifted to light-weight forward of Friday’s official weigh-ins on account of Ortega’s incapability to make weight.

With the change, the UFC 303 battle card contains:

• Champion Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka

• Dan Ige vs. Diego Lopes

• Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze

• Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson

• Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Web page

• Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Joe Pyfer

• Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson

• Jean Silva def. Charles Jourdain by way of knockout (punch) – Spherical 2, 1:22

• Payton Talbott def. Yanis Ghemmouri by way of knockout (punches) – Spherical 1, 0:19

• Gillian Robertson def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez by way of unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

• Martin Buday def. Andrei Arlovski by way of cut up resolution (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

• Rei Tsuruya def. Carlos Hernandez by way of unanimous resolution (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon by way of unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 303.

Story initially appeared on MMA Junkie