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When Dan Ige faces Calvin Katter in the UFC Fight Night headliner on July 15 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, he knows the encounter could boil down to a war of wills. The No. 6- and No. 11-ranked featherweights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship appear to be evenly matched on paper, which means the outcome could hinge on one question: Who wants it more? Ige plans to draw on his proud Hawaiian heritage against “The Boston Finisher.”
“It may come down to that,” Ige told Sherdog.com. “I can only speak for Hawaii. I don’t know about Boston, but we have a history [and] pride in fighting. It’s in our ego. We have a warrior spirit, and I am down to test my will against his will. I will test my will against any person on this planet. I know my will is strong. Like the Muhammad Ali quote on the mindset of a champion: ‘We can have the skill, we can have the will, but the will must be greater than the skill.’ For me, that defines my style. I’m not the prettiest fighter, I’m not the crispest boxer or wrestler, but I’m a gritty, tough guy. I’ll push forward, I won’t break and I won’t quit.”
In this exclusive interview with Sherdog, Ige broke down his forthcoming showdown with Kattar, sized up the importance of his recent victory over Edson Barboza and discussed his plans to combat the desert heat while competing in the Middle East.
