This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 21, we got to see a big matchup in the featherweight division. Top ten contender, Dan Ige (15-3), was set to take on rising contender, Gavin Tucker (13-2). Tucker stepped in for Ryan Hall to take this matchup against Ige.
UFC Vegas 21 was looking like a big opportunity for Gavin Tucker. Originally, Ryan Hall was set to take on Dan Ige, but an injury to his hip forced him out. That’s when Tucker stepped in to take on the top ten featherweight.
With a win, Tucker would vault into the UFC rankings. Riding a three-fight win streak, Tucker was ready to play spoiler. However, Dan Ige was motivated to get back on track after having his six-fight win streak snapped in his last fight.
Ige took on Calvin Kattar during the promotion’s first trip to Fight Island in a headliner. Calvin Kattar proved to be too much for Ige and after the loss, Ige looked to reset. His wife is getting ready to have a baby so he was more motivated than ever heading into Saturday.
The fight promised to deliver a lot of action. Little did we know that the UFC Vegas 21 featherweight contest wouldn’t even last 30 seconds. Shortly after the fight started, Ige landed a blistering right hand that put Tucker out. A very quick night at the office for Dan Ige.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 21?
UFC Vegas 21 was huge for Dan Ige. It was what you look for when you put a top ten contender up against someone unranked. You look for the fighter to show why they are ranked in the top ten and that’s exactly what Dan Ige did.
As mentioned, Ige’s wife is getting ready to have a baby so he will take a little time off from training. Once he’s ready to get back into the swing of things, what should the UFC do in terms of the next opponent for Ige?
In looking at the rankings, I think a perfect opponent would be Chan Sung Jung (16-6). The Korean Zombie is coming off of a loss, but he’s a former UFC title challenger with a ton behind his name. This would be a great next step for Dan Ige and I think many fans would sign up to see this fight.