UFC CEO Dana White may have to hand Dan Ige a spot on ‘Noche UFC’ at The Sphere as he promised! Ige cemented his legendary status in the eyes of the MMA sphere when he recently stepped up to save the UFC 303 co-main event fight between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes. ‘T-City’ had to withdraw from his matchup against Lopes just hours before the event due to a fever.

As such, Dan Ige stepped up and took the bout against Lopes at a catchweight of 165 lbs. Imagine stepping into the cage with just hours’ notice and facing someone you hadn’t been preparing for! But now, Ige has found himself in the crosshairs of Steve Garcia after his incredible performance against Seung Woo Choi at UFC Vegas 94.

Dan Ige is ready to throw down against Steve Garcia at ‘The Sphere’

Steve Garcia continued his tear through the UFC by rattling off another impressive finish over Seung Woo Choi at UFC Vegas 94! Constantly pressuring his opponent, ‘Mean Machine’ got Choi dragged into an exchange in the first round which ended with the Korean getting caught and finding himself on the Octagon floor. Without missing a beat, Garcia swarmed his opponent with follow-up shots and closed out the show.

The win marked Garcia’s fourth straight KO/TKO victory inside the cage and during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, he stated, “Honestly, I really want that fight with (Dan) Ige. I think that would be a freaking amazing fight…”

In a post on X, Ige responded by stating, “Garcia is gritty! Nice job”. When a fan further asked about the possibility of the two clashing at the upcoming ‘Noche UFC’ event at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Ige enthusiastically affirmed his interest by stating, “Guaranteed violence.”

After his short-notice heroics at UFC 303, Ige had indicated his intention to be given a spot on the ‘Noche UFC’ at The Sphere on September 14. Diego Lopes, his opponent on the card, had also highlighted his desire for the UFC and Dana White to re-book his canceled fight against Brian Ortega for the same event.

So, what did the UFC boss have to say to the two fighter’s requests? During the post-fight press conference, White stated, “You couldn’t have two bigger studs than these two guys tonight, Incredible. I do. I’ll do anything for these guys. So yeah.” However, that wasn’t the only benefit that Ige received for his short-notice rescue of the UFC 303 co-main event!

Ige received a massive pay-day from UFC and CEO Dana White

Not many fighters would be willing to take on Diego Lopes in a catch-weight bout on short notice. But for Dan Ige, while the fight ended in a decision loss, he was rewarded handsomely by the promotion for stepping up when needed. In an interview with MMA Junkie Radio after the fight against Lopes, Ige stated, “I got all my money, show and my win, and I got more, I got a new deal out of it. I got paid well. I probably got double or triple what I normally get, so it was – the number hit the bank account today, and it looks nice.”

To wrap things up, Dan Ige’s bravery and dedication have not only earned him financial rewards but also the admiration of fans and the UFC brass. It remains to be seen if Dana White and the UFC will come through for his wish to fight at ‘The Sphere’ but one thing remains certain, Dan Ige’s next appearance will be one to watch for the MMA fans!