LAS VEGAS — In an unprecedented transfer, Brian Ortega has been compelled to withdraw from his UFC 303 co-main occasion combat with Diego Lopes resulting from sickness and has been changed by Dan Ige, who was not scheduled to compete on the cardboard. The combat can be contested at a catchweight of 165 kilos.
This marks the primary time one fighter has stepped as much as exchange one other on the day of a combat with out weighing within the day earlier than. Ige, who was in attendance at T-Cell Enviornment, managed to weigh in at 164.5 kilos simply hours earlier than the combat and can now be slotted into the co-main occasion. Lopes weighed in at 161.5 kilos, and each events swiftly agreed to make the combat occur and preserve an injury-stricken combat card rolling.
As soon as Ige heard that the co-main occasion was in jeopardy, he despatched a direct message to UFC chief enterprise officer Hunter Campbell at 4:18 p.m., lower than three hours earlier than the beginning of the primary card.
“Hey Hunter, I have been in camp for 3 months,” the message learn. “I am the healthiest I’ve ever been, I can combat this man tonight and beat him. That is what legends are product of. I am in. I am prepared. I am in nice form. Please do not take this chance away from me.”
Ortega was tabbed to face Lopes within the co-main occasion on quick discover after the UFC was despatched scrambling when Conor McGregor’s damaged toe compelled him out of the primary occasion in opposition to Michael Chandler simply over two weeks earlier than the occasion. Ortega had issue reducing weight for the scheduled featherweight combat at 145 kilos and negotiated to bump the combat as much as light-weight (155 kilos) early Friday morning.
Ortega regarded noticeably out of it on the official weigh-in on Friday morning, and reviews started to floor that he was coping with an sickness as UFC 303 was underway.
Ige will compete for the primary time since beating Andre Fili by first-round knockout in February.