Ryan Hall is not the calling out type but, with the in-form featherweight struggling to secure fights recently, “The Wizard” has offered a matchmaking suggestion in an attempt to conjure up an early-2021 bout.
Winner of Season 22 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has won his first four UFC fights using his dangerous grappling and unorthodox stand-up skills.
He was scheduled to face Ricardo Lamas at UFC on ESPN+ 33 in August, but was forced out of the matchup due to injury. It means Hall hasn’t competed since July 2019, when he defeated Darren Elkins via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN+ 13.
But now that he’s healthy, Hall is eyeing an early-2021 return and has taken to social media to suggest a matchup with Dan Ige, who is currently ranked 11th in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings. Hall isn’t ranked among the featherweight top 15 in the list, though he and Ige occupy 13th and 12th places respectively in the UFC’s official list, and that proximity means the matchup makes a lot of sense to the jiu-jitsu ace.
“Cleared to fight, and back to normal training, but still struggling to find an opponent. I know Sean Shelby will find a good one, but here is a thought:
Dan Ige is a warrior who always puts on a great show, has clearly demonstrated a willingness to test himself against the best, and we’re next door in the featherweight rankings. What do you think, @dynamitedan808? Fight Island in January?”
Ige (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who kicked off 2020 with a pair of split-decision wins over Mirsad Bektic and Edson Barboza, saw his six-fight winning streak come to an end at the hands of Calvin Kattar at UFC on ESPN 13 in July.
Ryan Hall shares matchmaking thought, proposes ‘Fight Island’ bout with Dan Ige in January
