Dan Ige called his shot and got his wish as he’ll headline UFC Vegas 29 against Korean Zombie on Saturday.
After Ige scored a 22-second KO win in March he called out Korean Zombie. Immediately after the callout, Ige was told the UFC liked the fight and they were quick to book it for the main event.
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“I kind of had a sense I would get the fight which is why I asked for it,” Ige said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I know he’s been looking for a fight. He even said in some interviews he was thinking about moving to lightweight because featherweight was all tied up. Then, when I was matched up against Gavin Tucker he said he may fight Dan Ige if he won. This is a fight that can push me into the upper echelon of the division.”
Against Korean Zombie, Dan Ige has another shot to become a top-five featherweight. He also is headlining his second UFC event. Although he lost to Calvin Kattar in the main event back in July, he says he learned a lot from it.
Now, against Korean Zombie, Ige says he has all the confidence that he will be able to dictate the pace and frustrate his foe.
“I’m in it to fight my fight. I’m willing to strike with him but I’m going to mix it up on my terms. I’ll strike with him on my terms and I’ll wrestle with him on my terms,” Ige said. “That’s kind of the way I look at it. It will be exciting regardless as when I fight on my terms it’s exciting. I’m looking to put on an exciting fight and have a great performance and make a statement. Just put on a show for the fans but it will be on my terms.”
If Ige can dictate the pace and where the fight takes place, he’s confident he will be too much for Korean Zombie. Although he is tough to finish, Ige believes he has what it takes to get the stoppage win over Zombie.
“I see his durability and his toughness. But, you can take damage from certain guys, he can’t take damage from me,” Ige said. “The way I see the fight playing out is I’m 100 percent prepared to go five rounds and put on a grinding pace but I’m going to be looking for the finish at all times.”
If Ige does get his hand raised, and if he does so by stoppage, he knows the win would be massive for his career. With the state of the featherweight division, he believes a win could put him in line to fight in a number one contender fight next time out.
“It’s tough man, it’s not easy. If I beat the Zombie, I could earn a number one contender fight. Or, even a title shot based on the circumstances,” Ige said. “I have to put on a winning streak against the top of the world. My goal is to be a champion and it starts on June 19 against the Korean Zombie.”
Do you think Dan Ige will finish Korean Zombie at UFC Vegas 29?