Throwback: When UFC featherweight Dan Ige recalled wife clocking 6'3" man during family brawl
Dan Ige is set to return to the octagon at the upcoming UFC Vegas 86 event. Renowned for his durability and well-rounded MMA arsenal, the American athlete had once shed light upon a rather surprising incident involving his wife.
In an interview with Fightful in 2020, Ige suggested that since he began his martial arts training, he's not had street fight encounters bar one. That exception was his wife Savannah's 21st birthday.
In a Fightful report in January 2021, Ige harked back to the time he, his wife, her father and brothers, and other family members were at a club in Hawaii. '50K' aka 'Dynamite' noted that they were drinking, partying, and having fun.
Ige recalled, however, that a few European men were also present at the venue and were attempting to hit on his wife and her friends. Apparently, her father was offended by the men's behavior and indicated that they mustn't be disrespectful and should stay away from his daughter.
On that note, Ige explained that the men started getting rude, and the situation escalated into a family brawl -- with his wife, her father, brothers, and others partaking in it. He recollected that his wife was punching someone.
Furthermore, Dan Ige likened his perspective of the brawl to the 'Matrix' movies, as he was a trained martial artist at the time and could perceive the happenings in slow motion. He remembered that a man charged at him, in response to which he threw a leg kick, spinning the man around. Ige then noted how his 5'1" wife punched a man who was around 14 inches taller than her. He stated:
"I remember just grabbing him — body-locking him — and then I see my wife running up and she threw a huge — she's five-one and this guy was like six-three — and she just threw an overhand and clocked the guy in the face. That's the only time I've ever had to use my MMA skills but it was pretty funny. We all ran up the parking garage so we didn't get in trouble with the cops. That's a fun experience."
He added:
"She's a beast, dude. She's a CrossFit athlete and she's been a gymnast for 14 years. She lifts more than I do. She's a beast."
Check out Ige's comments below (3:00):
What's next for UFC featherweight Dan Ige?
Dan Ige's 2-3 in his past five octagon appearances and is coming off a unanimous decision defeat against Bryce Mitchell in September 2023. Ige (17-7 MMA) currently holds the No.13 spot in the official UFC featherweight rankings. '50K' was expected to face the No.14-ranked Lerone Murphy at UFC Vegas 86 (Feb. 10, 2024).
Nevertheless, Murphy withdrew from their showdown owing to injury issues last month (January 2024). It was subsequently revealed that Dan Ige would instead face short-notice replacement Andre Fili at the UFC Vegas 86 event. The featherweight showdown between '50K' and 'Touchy' would serve as the co-headlining matchup of the event.