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In an absolutely unprecedented move, Brian Ortega was forced out of UFC 303 at the last minute. He was set to face Diego Lopes in the co-main event of the pay-per-view card.
As the preliminary card of the event was going down, Ariel Helwani reported that Ortega was on the verge of withdrawing as he was sick and the UFC was trying to book Lopes against Dan Ige.
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Why is Brian Ortega out of UFC 303?
Before the main card of UFC 303 kickstarted, the broadcast confirmed Dan Ige vs. Diego Lopes to be official for the night. Brian Ortega was out of the UFC 303 card due to illness. Jon Anik said on the live broadcast that he was down with a 103-degree fever and had been taken ill since the official weigh-ins.
Ortega vs. Lopes was originally scheduled to be a featherweight fight but was bumped up to lightweight after 'T-City' had difficulty cutting weight. He still looked noticeably out of it when he stepped on the scales on Friday morning.
Dan Ige's statement
Dan Ige vs. Diego Lopes will take place at a catchweight of 165 pounds. Ige, who was in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena, managed to weigh in at 164.5 pounds hours before the fight, per ESPN.
Once Ige heard that the co-main event was in jeopardy, he texted UFC's Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell that he was ready to step in. This marks the first time a fighter has stepped up to replace another on the day of the fight without weighing in the day before or previously being on the card.
Lopes reportedly weighed in at 161.5 pounds.
After the announcement, Ige spoke on the short-notice replacement in a backstage interview:
"I was asleep on the couch, getting a massage. They called me - big opportunity. This is what legends are made of. You got to stay ready for these type of opportunities. I'm here tonight. Me and Diego are going to put on a great show, go out and show the world who Dan Ige is with this W."
Catch the round-by-round update of the UFC 303:Dan Ige vs. Diego Lopes fight here.
