Dan Ige Ready for ‘Gaethje-Chandler Type of War’ at UFC 269

Ready For War

Ige dropped to just his third loss in the UFC last time out against the Korean Zombie. After the judges awarded the win to Jung back in June, the now number nine ranked featherweight was unsure what would be next for him. But when the fight offer came through for his bout with Emmett, he couldn’t say no.

“I Was Surprised”

“When they called me with the Emmett fight, I was surprised. My mind was thinking smaller because I was coming off a loss, and I wasn’t sure in my mind how the company thought about me. I figured I would fight someone below me, so I was mentally prepared for anyone, even guys outside the rankings,” Ige said on Just Scrap Radio.

“When they called me, I was surprised. But, I am stoked for the opportunity because it is another chance to climb the ladder. It’s a great fight stylistically, it’s a fan-friendly fight. We both bring it, and we try to finish out guys, and we are both tough to put away.”

The Hawaiian is well aware that he and Emmett go into their fight with very similar fighting styles. With both being hard-hitters who are both experienced grapplers but he believes Emmett’s inactivity gives him the edge heading into Saturday’s scrap.

“I prepare for the hardest motherf****r”

“It’s an MMA fight. I have the tools and he has the tools to take the fight wherever it goes,” Ige explained. “It’s really going to come down to who is the smarter fighter, who has the better footwork and better angles and can land their shots. That is where I believe my vision, my timing, and my activity will be to my advantage.”

You don’t get the nickname “50K” if you don’t know how to put on a show and looking ahead to UFC 269, Ige believes it will be an all-out war, similar to that of Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler. Regardless of the outcome on the night, he is sure he will be the one leaving with his arm raised.

“The dude is super tough. In his last fight, he tore his ACL in the first minute against a hard-hitting Shane Burgos and fought through the entire fight, and won it,” Ige said. “I’m not taking away his toughness, if I go and get a nice knockout like the Gavin Tucker KO, great. It’s not what I prepare for, I prepare for the hardest motherf****r to put away.”

“I’m expecting a Gaethje-Chandler type of war. If you are not preparing for that, you are going to crumble when it does happen. We are so evenly matched and both can throw heat and wrestle offensively and defensively and we both have the ability to knock each other out. It will be an insane fight for the fans and I’m looking to come out victorious.”

Still Climbing The Ladder

With Emmett ranked ahead of him, Ige knows what a win could mean and what it could mean in the division, but he is not looking past this fight.

“I really try not to emphasize that too much. In my last fight, I got caught up thinking about if I beat Zombie, I get a title shot or a title eliminator,” Ige concluded. “I have to just focus on this fight, so I’m not looking past this fight. I have a tough guy ahead of me, and if I beat him it’s put me at seven. All I know is I’m climbing the ladder.”

You can catch Dan “50K” Ige take on Josh Emmett at UFC 269 on Saturday the 11th. Does Ige live up the nickname once again?

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