An unexpected flyweight title fight is set to headline UFC 301 on May 4 from inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as Alexandre Pantoja will defend his 125-pound title against rising contender Steve Erceg.
UFC announced the booking via social media on Friday. Check it out below:
Wheels up to Rio ??
The flyweight belt is up for grabs
Presale info: https://t.co/KhR1ww7s1q | #UFC301 pic.twitter.com/pxIQM9PXfm
— UFC (@ufc) March 15, 2024
This main event matchup is a bit of a surprise. With other flyweights champing at the bit — including Brandon Royval and Muhammad Mokaev — it’s interesting that the promotion settled on Erceg for Pantoja’s next title defense. It’s even more interesting to see this matchup headline UFC’s return to Rio de Janeiro, especially with UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira looking to make a quick turnaround after his UFC 300 main event bid against Jamahal Hill.
Pantoja, who has never fought in Brazil as a member of the UFC roster, is coming off a successful title defense over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 this past December. The Brazilian champion has won his last five trips to the Octagon and has never been finished in his entire professional career. That should make Pantoja a sizeable betting favorite when early odds are released next week.
Erceg, who made his UFC debut less than one year ago, is currently 3-0 inside of the Octagon. The Australian contender stepped up on short notice in his debut and impressed everyone by knocking off David Dvorak at UFC 289. Erceg’s most recent outing at UFC Vegas 87 saw him stop veteran flyweight Matt Schnell with a ridiculous knockout punch. That finish is likely the reason why UFC decided to ride the hot hand and grant Erceg this title shot.
Wild stuff.
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