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Still In The Mix At 145: Dan Ige Refuses To Fade Before Melquizael Costa Test
Still In The Mix At 145: Dan Ige Refuses To Fade Before Melquizael Costa Test
Dan ‘50K’ Ige has been around the UFC circuit long enough to know what it takes to operate at the top flight. After an early six-fight winning streak that led to a main-event clash in 2020 against Calvin Kattar, he has since shared the Octagon with some of the very best the 145-pound division has to offer – from The Korean Zombie and Movsar Evloev to Diego Lopes and Lerone Murphy, to name a few.
Despite a mixed record since that 2020 bout – more Ls than Ws – Ige, a self-described ‘fan favourite’, remains confident he can get the job done as he prepares for his 21st fight in the UFC – the fifth most in the history of the division since the adoption of the Unified Rules of MMA.
Standing opposite him will be the dangerous and fast-rising Melquizael Costa, who has racked up wins over Andre Fili, Christian Rodriguez and Julian Erosa, blending explosive head-kick knockouts with solid grappling and submissions. Add to that the fact that he is on a five-fight winning streak and boasts a 6-2 record in the UFC.
Yet UFC Houston this weekend does not neatly fit the classic veteran gatekeeper versus surging contender narrative. Costa, in fact, has more professional fights under his belt – albeit primarily outside the UFC – a fact Ige readily concedes. But for the Hawaii-born featherweight, time spent competing at the highest-level matters more.
“He actually has more professional fights than I do, but I definitely have more fights at the highest level, more fights in the UFC. I’m just looking forward to going out there and competing," Ige tells News18 Sports in an exclusive conversation ahead of his fight with Costa.
Ige is under no illusion about the Brazilian’s threat.
“He’s also dangerous on the ground. He has a lot of submission wins by guillotine, he has good back control, and we’ve studied him. I’ve watched every single one of his fights. We’ve studied all of his tendencies, and I’m sure he’s done the same for me," he says. “That’s what makes the sport so beautiful: we get to go out there and see who came up with the better game plan… Only one man will be standing."
Ige has had six weeks to prepare for the bout – a timeline he calls ‘the sweet spot’. Over the years, he has experienced the entire spectrum, from accepting an ultra-short notice assignment against Diego Lopes to enduring a 17-week build-up for another contest.
“When I fought Diego Lopes, it was literally the day of. There’s no time to think, you just go out there and do it," he says. “That was fun, that was surreal, and that was something I’ll probably never get to do again.
“I’ve taken fights on two weeks’ notice… and sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve had up to 17 weeks’ notice where it’s easy to go in there and overtrain. When you’re training for one guy for that long, it’s easy to burn out," he explains.
For Houston, Ige feels he has landed in the ideal middle ground.
“This fight I’ve had about six weeks, which I think is the sweet spot," he says. “It gets you sharp, it gets you ready, but you’re definitely not going to overdo it. It’s hard to overtrain in six weeks."
Ige enters 2026 on the back of a narrow decision defeat to Patricio “Pitbull" Freire, but that loss does not rankle as deeply as the result might suggest.
“When I look back at my last fight with Patricio Pitbull, it was a very, very close, back-and-forth fight and it essentially came down to the first round," he says. “My one little slip-up cost me a takedown and about 30 seconds of control from Patricio, which lost me the fight."
It is precisely the kind of marginal error Ige does not want to repeat against Costa.
Denying Costa His Comfort Zone
His game plan for the Brazilian is simple – do not allow him to dictate the pace; close the distance; stay in his face.
“When I studied him, I noticed he’s definitely winning the fight when he’s fighting on his pace and his terms, at his range," Ige explains. “When guys stay at kickboxing range with him, he has a lot of success."
“I just can’t fight the fight at his range," he says. “I have to be in his face and move forward the whole time. If I’m moving forward, I’m winning the fight."
“I believe I’m more dangerous in that range than he is," adds Ige. “I’ve had a great camp, I’ve had some great sparring rounds this camp, and I’m excited to go out there, have some fun, let it all go, roll the dice and see what happens."
A post shared by 💯Grand Dan Ige (@dynamitedan808)
Then comes the clearest insight into his mindset. Ige, generally measured outside the cage, allows himself a rare flash of emotional candour.
“Melquizaelsays if you want to drown someone, you have to be willing to drown yourself, and I’m willing to do so," Ige says.
“If it has to go there, I’m willing to go there."
Despite the fast-changing landscape at 145 pounds, Ige believes he remains firmly in the mix. For the veteran of 21 UFC fights, it is about confidence in preparation and acceptance of the sport’s volatility.
“I’ve been on a six-fight win streak and it’s easy to buy into the hype, and then I’ve lost. Unfortunately, everyone eventually loses," he says. “Win streaks, rankings – I don’t really buy into that stuff. I don’t think too much about it.
“Sometimes the machine [UFC] does a great job at promoting and hyping up fighters, especially when they’re on win streaks," he says. “If anything, I’ve just learned to stay grounded, stay close and connected to my family, stay close with God and work hard. Whatever is supposed to happen is going to happen, and I’m content with that."
The feeling of belonging at the top has only strengthened the 34-year-old’s resolve.
“There’s a lot of surging contenders right now, and I know I’m right there in the mix," he says. “You match me with anyone in the top five, I know I can beat them with the right plan and the right preparation."
A win over Costa, he believes, will not erase past defeats – but it will reposition him in the conversation.
“A win over Costa just sets me up for the next one," he says. “There’s a reason I’ve been around for 21 UFC fights: because people tune in and watch. I’m a fan favourite. You give me 22 wins and now they’re talking about me again and my name is back in the mix."
“I have supreme confidence," he says. “I just go out there, I prepare my best, and I’ll give my best effort… The rest is in God’s hands."
Watch UFC Fight Night – Strickland vs. Hernandez on 22nd February, 2026 from 6:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu).
Source: News18
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