Dan Ige gave new meaning to the well-worn fight-game phrase, “whoever, whenever, wherever” at UFC 303 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Kahuku native had no idea when he woke up that morning that he was fighting anyone. But he was in town to watch the action at T-Mobile Arena and got a phone call just a few hours before the main card was set to begin.

Would he be willing to fight Diego Lopes to salvage a co-main event bout?

After losing to Lopes via unanimous decision in a spirited three-round catchweight fight, Ige (18-8) had no regrets. It was scored 29-28 on all three judges’ cards, with Ige credited with winning the final round.

“It doesn’t matter – eight weeks, six weeks, four weeks, four hours!” Ige told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the octagon after the fight, yelling the last word. “It doesn’t matter. This is what I live for. This is my dream. I get to wake up, and do what I want. I was literally getting a massage. I get a call from … a bunch of people and they say, ‘hey, do you want to fight, tonight?’

“I was like, man, this is an opportunity to become a legend," he continued. "This is the stories I want to tell my grandkids. I love fighting at the (UFC) Apex, don’t get me wrong. But to show up on four hours’ notice on International Fight Week on one of the biggest cards of the year on the co-main event, man, I couldn’t be happier with my performance.”

Ige was widely lauded by the mixed martial arts community on social media for his guts to take the fight. As Ige stood the ring, the T-Mobile crowd cheered and he was given plaudits by Rogan and Lopes (25-6), who himself had to adjust on the fly after expecting to face Brian Ortega, who pulled out with an illness.

Lopes, who thought the Ortega fight would first be at featherweight (145 pounds), then was notified it would be at 155 when Ortega was having trouble making weight. The Brazilian ultimately fought at 161 pounds to Ige’s 164.

Lopes controlled a frantic first round, outpointing Ige on strikes and getting him in a choke in the final seconds of the frame. He also was in command during the more deliberately paced second round.

Ige landed some big shots in the third and got Lopes to the ground in the final minute but it was not enough.

“First of all, all respect to Dan Ige,” Lopes said through an interpreter. “Not many guys take a fight with three-hours notice. This was all for Dan Ige. Thank you bro.”

Rogan told Ige, “There’s not a lot of human beings who would’ve accepted a fight like you did today, to show the courage and the heart, and this crowd appreciates it. To have such an incredible performance and win the third round, I’m incredibly honored to be able to talk to you right now.”

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.