Why Is Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes Happening at 155 Lbs? Serious Health Issues Revealed Behind FW Star’s Move to Lightweight at UFC 303

The changes in UFC 303 continue to unfold, with a significant shift occurring in the co-main event. Initially slated as a featherweight matchup between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes, the bout had been redirected to the lightweight division at 155 pounds. This alteration was announced just before Friday morning’s weigh-ins, indicating a last-minute adjustment to the fight card. Despite all of this, the end game for the UFC 303 co-main event was something that no one had expected.

Speaking on the same, the veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani chimed in with some inside information as he explained the reasoning behind Brian Ortega‘s move to a heavier weight class. But also keep reading to catch how the card almost fell through yet again, and Dan Ige stepped up.

Was Brian Ortega the reason behind the fight moving to 155 lbs?

UFC 303 has been a fight card in flux. It all started with a failed test by Khalil Rountree Jr, throwing the co-main event into disarray. Then, a toe injury to Conor McGregor forced him out of the scheduled fight against Michael Chandler while Jamahal Hill also had to withdraw from the co-main fight because of injury concerns. Now, Brian Ortega’s inability to hit the featherweight class weight added to the UFC’s misery but Dana White & Co. managed to save the card.

According to Ariel Helwani, Brian Ortega had already hinted in previous interviews that he was preparing to move up to lightweight. Suddenly, UFC 303 offered him a featherweight opportunity on short notice. However, Ortega wasn’t in a position to make the significant weight cut.

Helwani explained in a post on his Instagram handle, “It’s hard to pump the brakes on the bulking-up process. This is what I am told: at about 3:30 am local time, Lopez and his team got a call saying that Ortega was weighing 151 pounds, wouldn’t be able to make it to 146, and it was either take the fight at 155 or the fight was off. He had to rehydrate, so Lopez and his team decided to take it at 155.”

Despite Ortega’s inability to make the weight, Diego Lopes and his team readily agreed to the proposed switch to lightweight. Both fighters then put on extra weight needed, successfully hitting the 155-pound mark at the weigh-in. A late shakeup hit the co-main event at UFC 303 during weigh-ins at UFC Apex in Las Vegas as Jon Anik announced the originally planned featherweight clash between Brian Oretega and Diego Lopes would now be contested at lightweight. Both fighters successfully hit the 155-pound mark, marking their UFC debuts in the new weight class.

Previously, Ortega and Lopes had exclusively competed in the featherweight division throughout their careers with the promotion. However, we shouldn’t forget that the Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes matchup was added to the UFC 303 card just two weeks ago after Jamahal Hill withdrew from the event because of injury.

This led the UFC to reshuffle the fight card, placing Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prohazka as the main event and Ortega vs. Lopes as the new co-main event. Yet how did it end up being Lopes vs. Ige might you ask? Here’s more on that.

A Fever and a Braveheart

While the MMA fans finally had settled in, Ariel Helwani took to X, “UFC is trying to book Dan Ige x Diego Lopes tonight, I’m told. It’s not 100% yet. Ortega is on the verge of having to withdraw. He is sick, sources say. The plan would be a 165-pound catchweight fight, if it gets over the line. Ige would have to weigh in tonight. I honestly have never heard of anything like this before considering he didn’t weigh in yesterday. Developing.”

And well the famed journalist definitely came through yet again, as Jon Anik would soon inform his fellow commentators and viewers that owing to a 103-fever, Ortega has to sit the fight out. Yet, Lopes was still fighting but now against Dan Ige, who like a true braveheart took on the fight at just 3 hours’ notice.

Although Lopes did have the last laugh with a win, nevertheless, Ige has created UFC history by taking on the Brazillian in what could only be deemed ‘shortest-notice ever.’ And to add to the humor, in the post-fight interview with Rogan, Ige also disclosed that he was just getting a massage when the UFC team had reached out to him.

What is your opinion about the whole ordeal now? Share your thoughts in the comments below!