GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 12: (R-L) David Martinez of Mexico punches Dan Ige in their bantamweight fight during the Noche UFC event at Desert Diamond Arena on September 12, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Dan Ige is now on a three fight losing skid after moving down to bantamweight, but “100 Grand” is more motivated than ever to make the weight jump a success. The 35-year-old Ige looked old and slow in there against David Martinez at Noche UFC, losing a largely one-sided affair 30-27, 20-27, and 29-28 on the judges’ scorecards. It was always a tough task for Ige, as Martinez is ranked No. 7 at 125 and a perfect 4-0 in the UFC. Ige released a statement following the loss and made no excuses in the face of defeat. “I’m blessed in more ways than I can put into words,” he wrote on Instagram. “My family loves me deeply, and they are proud of the effort, sacrifice, and work that went into this moment. People see 15 minutes under the lights. They don’t see every early morning, every hard round, every meal, every recovery session, every prayer, or every stone I turned to prepare.” View this post on Instagram “I was confident and more than ready,” he continued. “Tonight, Martinez was the better man. I lost the moments in the fight. That hurts. But I’m not defined by an outcome. Defeat is painful, especially when the opinions of outsiders get loud, but the man in the arena is the one who carries the weight of it. I’ll face that pain honestly, with my head up.” Ige insisted he knows what he needs to do to be successful at bantamweight, but sounded unsure as to what might be next for his career. “In my heart and soul, I know I did what I needed to do,” he wrote. “I may not know exactly what comes next, but my faith will not be shaken and I’ll continue to be a vessel for the Almighty above.” It’s been a tough road for Ige over the past 5 years as the entertaining fighter has gone 4-9. On the plus side, he only has one actual finish loss on his record for February 2026, so he’s not a punching bag by any means. If he believes a few more tweaks at bantamweight (and perhaps a less brutal opponent) could result in success, we hope the UFC gives him a chance to test that hypothesis.