Dan Ige Recounts Epic Short Notice Bout W/ Diego Lopes, Says He'd Do It Again

Dan Ige I'd Do Short-Notice Fight All Over Again ...'That Was The Best Feeling In The World!!!'

Dan Ige was readying connected watching UFC 303 similar the remainder of america ... connected the couch. But earlier the main paper kicked disconnected ... helium recovered himself walking into the arena to instrumentality a combat against Diego Lopes connected 4 hours announcement -- and helium tells TMZ Sports he would bash it each implicit again!

We spoke with the 32-year-old combatant days aft helium saved the time for the UFC connected its marquee paper for International Fight Week. Ige said helium is inactive riding the precocious of the full saga.

"The past 24 hours person been an affectional roller coaster," helium said. "I was preparing for a nighttime successful 3 weeks. Then, conscionable getting the telephone connected 4 hours announcement and making that locomotion connected specified a immense event, redeeming the card, UFC 303 arsenic the co-main event. 19,000 fans successful the arena, getting a lasting ovation. What a moment, what an opportunity."

If you missed it, Brian Ortega was slated to combat Lopes successful the co-main lawsuit of UFC 303. However, Ortega got sick the time of the combat and had to withdraw. Scrambling to salvage the fight, the UFC called the Las Vegas-based Ige to spot if helium could measurement successful and combat astatine 165 lbs.

A abbreviated car thrust aboriginal ... the shortest of abbreviated announcement combat was booked! While Ige acknowledges that what helium did was "cool and crazy," helium gives his props to Lopes for going done what helium went done and inactive sticking connected the card.

"I work everything this kid went through. He chopped down to 145, helium rehydrated to [1]55, and past his hostile gets sick and falls out. So, he's astir apt reasoning I'm not adjacent fighting. Then they driblet my sanction into the hat. Even erstwhile they offered it to me, I was like, 'This can't adjacent beryllium real.'"

The 13th-ranked UFC featherweight said they some walked retired winners astatine the extremity of the combat -- calling it an "amazing spectacle."

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While helium has nary regrets astir it all, Ige would bask moving it backmost against the #14 ranked featherweight Lopes with clip to hole -- with an oculus towards the UFC Mexican Independence Day paper astatine the Sphere!

"Let's bash it fair," Ige said. We'll some chopped to 145, we'll some prepare, we'll some crippled program for each other, and we'll spot what happens. That was a adjacent fight; helium had his moments, and I had my moments, and I finished strong. We tin marque it 5 rounds!"

Sign america up for circular two!!!