The No. 10 “Astro Boy” (12-1-0), 28, secured a title shot against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in only his third UFC fight. He made the most of his short notice debut at UFC 289 in June 2023. But it was his highlight-reel knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Vegas 87 in March that convinced the matchmakers to leapfrog him into a title shot.
Erceg is once again the underdog against Pantoja (27-5-0), 34, who decisioned No. 1 Brandon Royval and won the title from Brandon Moreno. The thinking is Erceg’s boxing will not be enough to tame Pantoja’s striking and ground game on his home soil.
But Erceg could have a few tricks up his sleeve for the fight.
Meanwhile, Pantoja will want to get the fight down to the ground as quickly as possible and avoid getting caught on the feet. Sure, he has a great chin and striking too, but I suspect everything he throws early will be designed to get a takedown. On the ground, Pantoja should be able to control Erceg and work for submissions.
Erceg has nothing to lose as the underdog and I expect him to retain his cool demeanor. While the pressure is on Pantoja, I expect him to use the home crowd to his advantage. This is what he wanted, and he got it.
Now, Pantoja has to bring it home.
In the Clinch: Pantoja Home Soil Title Defense vs. Erceg, UFC 301 – More Resources
Alexandre Pantoja
Steve Erceg
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