Dan Ige, always ready to fight, accepted a matchup against Lerone Murphy at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi after his previous attempts to secure a fight fell through, and is eager for the opportunity to climb the rankings by facing an undefeated contender.
If there’s one thing about Dan Ige, it’s that he’s always up for a fight. No doubt about it.
Imagine accepting a fight against Diego Lopes with just three hours’ notice at UFC 303. That’s Ige for you! After nearly pulling off an upset in June, he was eager to jump onto the UFC 306 card in September, set for the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Despite his hustle, no fight came through for him on that date. Frustrating, right?
“The night of the fight [UFC matchmakers] told me they were going to work on something,” Ige shared with MMA Fighting. “I saw fights getting announced. I sat and waited. Then Dana White was about to announce the Noche card. I thought, maybe I’m on it? Maybe not? Let’s see.”
When the card was finally announced, things didn’t pan out for Ige. No Mexican fighter available. They wanted Yair Rodriguez, but he wasn’t ready until later in the year. So, they moved on.
Eventually, Ige got an offer to face Lerone Murphy at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. He jumped at it.
Then, mid-flight across the globe, chaos hit! A rumor said Murphy was out, and Jean Silva was stepping in.
“I was literally on the plane over the Atlantic when I saw the tweet,” Ige recalled. “Reporters bombarded me. I tweeted ‘fake news’ because there was nothing official. Checked emails—nothing. Texted Sean Shelby like ‘Bro, is this real?’ He confirmed: fake news.”
“I’d have been ready anyway,” Ige asserted. “Didn’t come all this way not to fight. Whoever it is, bring it on!”
While he’d take anyone as an opponent, facing Murphy—a top contender—was a win-win for Ige’s career.
“We got Lerone Murphy,” Ige stated. “A big fight on a stellar PPV card—no complaints here! It’s stacked, exciting, and I’m climbing those rankings.”
Originally slated to face Murphy earlier this year, an injury sidelined their bout.
Now? Ige’s pumped to finally meet him in the octagon after Murphy’s impressive win over Edson Barboza in May.
“Lerone was always on our radar,” Ige mentioned. “Even with guys ranked behind me—I’ve fought them all. Giving others chances has been my thing.”
“Facing a No. 11 guy like Murphy gives me that shot to climb again,” he concluded. “No complaints here.”