Dan Ige is reportedly exploring the possibility of moving down to the bantamweight division. The featherweight fighter has struggled recently, going 2-4 in his last six bouts. His most recent fight saw him knocked out in the first round by Melquizael Costa. With mounting losses at featherweight, Ige appears to be weighing his options for a potential weight class change to rejuvenate his career.
Dan Ige is reportedly weighing a move down to bantamweight as he looks to reverse a difficult stretch in his featherweight career, according to reports that have not yet been officially confirmed.
Ige, nicknamed "50K," carries a 19-11 record and currently sits ranked 13th in the UFC featherweight division. The 34-year-old American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture, has gone 2-4 over his last six outings, a run that includes a first-round knockout loss to Melquizael Costa. Standing five-foot-seven with a 71-inch reach, Ige has averaged 3.6 significant strikes per minute over his career with a 45 percent striking accuracy, and has added modest wrestling contributions at 0.93 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Costa, the man who most recently handed Ige a defeat, is a 29-year-old Brazilian southpaw out of Chute Boxe Joao Emilio. The 26-8 fighter stands five-foot-ten and carries an active, aggressive striking game, averaging 4.29 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy. He also poses a threat on the ground, averaging 1.53 takedowns and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- A move to bantamweight would place Ige in an entirely new competitive landscape after mounting losses at 145 pounds
- At 34, a division change carries both opportunity and risk, with a fresh pool of opponents but no established ranking to fall back on
- Ige's 71-inch reach, a useful attribute at featherweight, would represent a significant physical advantage against smaller bantamweights
- The report remains unconfirmed, meaning no official announcement or timeline has been established
