Kahuku alum Dan Ige said he was asleep on the couch getting a massage on Saturday when he received a phone call from the UFC.

Hours later, he was driving himself to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to fight in the co-main event of UFC 303.

Ige, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, replaced Brian Ortega on the same day’s notice and lost a unanimous decision to Diego Lopes but gained so much more for saving the second-biggest fight of one of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-views held during International Fight Week.

“He didn’t lose. You can’t lose. When you come in like Ige came in and you do what he did, this is not a loss,” UFC President Dana White said in the postfight press conference. “I think what he did is he already had a tremendous amount of street cred and it went through the roof.”

Ige replaced Ortega for a fight held at a catchweight of 165 pounds after Ortega fell ill following Friday’s weigh-ins, where he and Lopes both weighed in successfully for a bout at 155 pounds.

Ige came to the arena and weighed in at 164.5 pounds, while Lopes had to weigh in again and was 161 pounds. Ige had cleared his pre-fight medical obligations in part because he had already done it preparing for a bout on July 20 against Chepe Mariscal. He had also fought earlier this year in Las Vegas.

Lopes, who said he didn’t know he would be fighting Ige until 4 p.m. local time and weighed in with Ige 21⁄2 hours later, won the first two rounds before Ige put a scare into Lopes in the third.

Ige landed clean power shots standing and spent the final two minutes on top of Lopes on the mat, landing a series of significant strikes with his left hand as Lopes survived the final bell.

“It doesn’t matter. Eight weeks, six weeks, four weeks, four hours. It doesn’t matter,” Ige said in a postfight interview in the cage with UFC commentator Joe Rogan. “This is what I live for. This is my dream. I get to wake up and do what I love.”

All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Lopes.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned the fight in part because Ige and Lopes matched up in the UFC rankings. Lopes entered the fight ranked No. 14 at featherweight, while Ige was No. 13 at 145 pounds.

“I was asleep on the couch, getting a massage, and they called me,” Ige said in a video released by the UFC on social media before the start of the main card. “Big opportunity. This is what legends are made of. You’ve got to stay ready for these kind of opportunities.”

Ige dropped to 18-8 overall and 10-7 in the UFC, while Lopes improved to 25-6 and 4-1.

Ige had won three of his previous four UFC fights to enter the rankings.

Lopes has won four straight fights in the UFC. Ortega is ranked third in the UFC at featherweight.

The fight between Lopes and Ortega was originally scheduled for 145 pounds. Lopes was told Friday morning that Ortega wouldn’t make weight and agreed to fight at 155 pounds. He ended up fighting at 165 pounds.

“All the respect to Dan Ige. Not many guys take a fight with three hours’ notice,” Lopes said through a translator in the post fight interview. “As I said yesterday at the weigh-in, whoever, whenever, however, I will fight anybody. Today, 4 p.m., I found out this fight was changing. It doesn’t matter. I will fight anybody.”

Both fighters said they want to fight at the Sphere in Las Vegas at UFC 306.

It will be the first live fight card held inside of the music and entertainment arena built east of the Las Vegas Strip. It opened in September 2023.

Jon Anik, who is the head play-by-play commentator for the UFC, was told of Ige replacing Ortega during the final minute of the last preliminary fight, he said.

White was asked about both guys wanting to fight at the Sphere and if they might get the opportunity.

“The guys involved in the co-main event tonight are absolute studs,” White said. “I will do anything for these guys.”