"UFC always compensates very well" - Veteran welterweight agrees with Dan Ige's claim of getting "double or triple" of his usual pay following UFC 303
UFC welterweight Alex Morono backed up Dan Ige's claims of getting paid "double or triple" his normal pay to fight Diego Lopes. At UFC 303, Ige made history by replacing Brian Ortega on a few hours' notice for a co-main event matchup against Lopes.
'50k' had approved medical records from his fight in February (first-round knockout win against Andre Fili) and was in training camp preparing for a matchup against Chepe Mariscal later this month.
Ige may have suffered a unanimous decision loss at UFC 303, but he earned a lifetime of respect from fans. Furthermore, the 32-year-old featherweight received an impressive payday, which he explained during an interview with MMA Junkie:
"I got all my money, show and my win, and I got more...I got paid well. I probably got double or triple what I normally get."
MMA Junkie transcribed Ige's comments and posted the quote on Instagram. In the comment section, Morono utilized his previous experience with taking short-notice fights in the UFC and had this to say about '50k' getting paid extra:
"Can confirm. I've taken a lot of short notice fights and the UFC always compensates very well."
Dan Ige helped produce one of the most entertaining fights of the night at UFC 303. Furthermore, he started taking over the momentum in round three, which he won on all the judge's scorecards. Nonetheless, Diego Lopes secured the unanimous decision win (29-28 x3), extending his promotional record to 4-1.
What's next for Dan Ige and Alex Morono under the UFC banner respectively?
Following his short-notice appearance at UFC 303, Dan Ige asked Dana White to return the favor and book him for UFC 306. The highly-anticipated event takes place on September 14 (Mexican Independence Day) inside the Sphere, with White proclaiming it will be "the greatest sporting event of all time."
It's unclear who Ige will fight, but White has confirmed that he and Diego Lopes will have their wishes granted after saving the UFC 303 co-main event.
Meanwhile, Alex Morono last fought on June 1 when he suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Niko Price at UFC 302. The twenty-one-fight UFC veteran will likely be matched up against an unranked up-and-comer later this year.