Rivalries: Dan Ige

Dan Ige could use some good news.

The 31-year-old Hawaiian will look to snap a career-worst three-fight losing streak when he tackles Fortis MMA export Damon Jackson in the UFC Fight Night 217 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Ige owns a 7-5 record inside the Octagon, but he has spun his wheels in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division over the past two-plus years. He last competed on June 4, when he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Movsar Evloev in their three-round pairing at UFC Fight Night 207.

As Ige takes aim at Jackson in an intriguing battle at 145 pounds, a look at some of the rivalries that have played a role in charting his course to this point:

Julio Arce

The former two-division Ring of Combat netted his first win inside the Octagon with a unanimous decision over Ige as part of the UFC 220 undercard on Jan. 20, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston. A fill-in for the injured Charles Rosa, Arce carried all three scorecards: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. Ige whiffed on all 10 of his takedown attempts and found himself outgunned in the standup department. Arce picked apart the Hawaiian with a variety of strikes, from lead right hooks and stinging jabs to digging body shots and left uppercuts to the head. The Team Tiger Schulmann mainstay stunned Ige with a right hook in the first round and again with a left uppercut in the third, making a strong first impression in his promotional debut.

Mirsad Bektic

Xtreme Couture’s Ige moved his name further up in the 145-pound pecking order when he was awarded a split verdict over the former can’t-miss prospect in their UFC 247 featherweight showcase on Feb. 8, 2020 at the Toyota Center in Houston. All three judges struck 29-28 scorecards: J.J. Ferraro and Marcos Rosales for Ige, Patrick Patlan for Bektic. Ige flexed his superiority in the standup exchanges, especially in the first and third rounds. Bektic made his move in the middle stanza, where he executed a takedown, moved to side control and blasted the Hawaiian with knees to the body. The Tristar Gym export then framed an arm-triangle choke and held it in place for several tense moments. Ige survived, pushed the bout deeper and resumed his attack on the feet in Round 3, where he unleashed repeated right hands and mitigated a takedown attempt from his counterpart.

Edson Barboza

Ige continued his slow but steady climb on the featherweight ladder, as he eked out a contentious split decision over the former Ring of Combat champion in a featured UFC on ESPN 8 attraction on May 16, 2020 at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it 29-28: Sal D’Amato and Derek Cleary for Ige, Troy Wincapaw for Barboza. However, the strikes of consequence were landed by the Brazilian, as Barboza dropped his counterpart with a right elbow-right hook combination in the first round and left him in survival mode with a knee to the liver in the second. Ige responded with body-head combinations, a series of clinches and a strong closing argument in Round 3, where he spent the final 72 seconds in top position after executing a takedown.

Calvin Kattar

“The Boston Finisher” took a measured and tactical approach, stepped on the gas when the situation called for it and outstruck Ige for the better part of five rounds to record a unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN 13 main event on July 15, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. At a four-inch height and one-inch reach disadvantage, Ige was largely outgunned on the feet but still managed to make his presence felt. The Hawaiian appeared to break Kattar’s nose with a left hook in the second round and focused his attention on the body and legs, where more than half of his 84 significant strikes landed were directed. However, his efforts fell short. Kattar responded by spearing him with jabs, punching in combination and, perhaps most importantly, denying all nine of his takedown attempts.

Josh Emmett

The Team Alpha Male standout kept his name relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division when he claimed a three-round unanimous decision over Ige in the featured UFC 269 prelim on Dec. 11, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Emmett swept the scorecards with 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 nods from the judges. Ige faced an uphill climb after a difficult first round. Emmett decked him with a thudding right hand, jumped into top position with his ground-and-pound and established an early advantage. Ige answered in Round 2, where he dazed the Phoenix native with a left hook and followed it with a burst of punches in a bid to finish. Those efforts failed to net the desired result, and Emmett slowly but surely regained his faculties. Ige appeared to connect more often down the stretch, but his unyielding adversary landed with more authority and to greater effect.