Dan Ige is getting an immediate opportunity to make an impact in the UFC’s bantamweight division. The longtime featherweight contender will make his 135-pound debut at Noche UFC on Sept. 12, where he is scheduled to face No. 7 ranked David Martinez at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Ige begins a new chapter at 135 pounds
After spending his entire UFC career competing at featherweight, Ige has decided to move down a weight class in search of a fresh start. The 34-year-old enters the bout looking to snap a difficult stretch that has seen him lose four of his last five fights. He is also hoping to avoid the first three-fight losing streak of his UFC career.
The matchup, however, presents a major challenge. Martinez has quickly emerged as one of the division’s rising contenders since joining the promotion. The 29-year-old is unbeaten through his first three UFC appearances, earning victories over Marlon Vera, Rob Font and Saimon Oliveira to climb to No. 7 in the official bantamweight rankings.
Another weight class change added to Noche UFC
Ige is not the only fighter making a move to a new division on the Sept. 12 card.The UFC has also booked Ignacio Bahamondes for his welterweight debut after competing at lightweight throughout his promotional run. He is set to face veteran striker Muslim Salikhov in another matchup featuring a fighter testing himself in a new weight class.
With a ranked opponent waiting in his first outing at bantamweight, Ige has a chance to immediately insert himself into the title picture if he can pull off a statement victory.