Dan Ige returns to fight undefeated Lerone Murphy at UFC 308

UFC 308 continues to take shape with the addition of an all-action featherweight matchup.

Coming off a same-day notice fight, Dan Ige returns to face Lerone Murphy at the Oct. 26 pay-per-view event at Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie following an initial report from MMA Fighting.

Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) stepped up to help save the day at UFC 303. On just a few hours’ notice, Ige filled in for Brian Ortega, who became too ill to compete against Diego Lopes. When the call came, Ige was getting a massage at home. He accepted the fight and immediately began preparing to head to T-Mobile Arena for a fight.

Although Lopes defeated Ige by unanimous decision, Ige was widely praised for filling in. Ige was then promised a spot on Noche UFC at Sphere in Las Vegas, but that did not happen. Instead, he will travel to Abu Dhabi to face an undefeated opponent.

Murphy (14-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) will enter his second fight of 2024. In his first appearance, he kept his undefeated record alive in his first main event opportunity by defeating the always dangerous Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 241.

“The Miracle” has gone the distance in three straight fights, with his last finish coming in the second round against Makwar Amirkhani at UFC 267. Aside from a draw in his debut against Zubaira Tukhugov, Murphy has repeatedly earned victories as he climbs toward the division’s top.

With the addition, the current UFC 308 lineup includes:

• Ciryl Gane vs .Alexander Volkov
• Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
• Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.