Brian Ortega out of UFC 303 co-main event, Diego Lopes gets last-minute opponent

Third-ranked featherweight contender Brian Ortega was supposed to fight 14th-ranked Diego Lopes in the UFC 303 co-main event on Saturday.  After running a fever after weigh-ins, Ortega was declared medically unable to fight hours before he was scheduled to bout.  

Dan Ige stepped up on hours notice to step in for Ortega.  Lopes had to weigh-in again and the two will fight at a catchweight of 165 pounds.      

Ortega returned in February after 18 months outside of the cage healing from injuries in February.  He earned a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus for his submission win over Yair Rodriguez.

Lopes will enter the octagon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas riding a three-fight winning streak.  He had finished his three previous opponents in the first round.  Ige last fought in February, defeating Andre Fili by knockout.  

The UFC 303 has been an ever changing fight card.  The event was expected to be headlined by Conor McGregor‘s octagon return against Michael Chandler but McGregor was forced out due to a toe injury. Once McGregor fell out of the event, the fight card went through a major transformation and continued to even on fight night.  

T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas hosted UFC 303 and a middleweight championship rematch between champion Alex Pereira and former titleholder Jiri Prochazka headlines the fight card.