Alexandre Pantoja | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Exclusive – Steve Erceg reveals how his unlikely title fight with Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 came together

Just three fights into his career in the Octagon, Australian standout Steve Erceg has already teed up his first…

Just three fights into his career in the Octagon, Australian standout Steve Erceg has already teed up his first shot at UFC gold.

On Saturday, May 4, ‘AstroBoy’ will headline UFC 301 when the promotion returns to Rio de Janeiro. There, Erceg will challenge reigning and defending flyweight world champion Alexandre Pantoja in a fight that nobody saw coming — at least not this soon.

Speaking with Andrew Whitelaw in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Erceg offered some details on how the unlikely title tilt came together, revealing along the way that he was essentially in the right place at the right time.

“I expected there’d be quite a few more people ahead of me that would get a shot,” Erceg said. “The way it came together was that all the guys ahead of me except for [Muhammad] Mokaev were injured, had already fought, missed weight, and all that stuff. So it really came down to who performed better at the Vegas show. I finished Matt Schnell and Mokaev had a tough outing [against Alex Perez] so they gave me the opportunity.”

Competing on a Fight Night card in March, Erceg delivered a destructive second-round knockout of Schnell while Mokaev put together a lackluster showing against Perez. That’s all the UFC needed to know who the next man up at flyweight should be.

That and Brandon Royval’s stunning short-notice win over Brandon Moreno a month earlier.

Steve Erceg excited to fight Pantoja on his home turf

Steve Erceg knows a thing or two about winning titles, having captured the Eternal MMA flyweight championship in March 2020. Of course, ‘AstroBoy’ recognizes that there is a big difference between winning a title on the regional scene versus bagging one on MMA’s biggest stage.

“I know I can rise to the occasion, but obviously winning a world title in the UFC is a very different thing,” Erceg said. “It’ll be the culmination of all my hard work. The other titles are cool and all, but they mean a lot less than this one.”

Erceg will certainly have his work cut out for him in his first UFC main event. Not only is he taking on the best flyweight fighter on the planet, but he’ll be doing so in enemy territory.

“I’m excited for it,” Erceg said when asked about fighting Pantoja on his home turf. “I know the crowd is going to be very loud. Not for me. They’re going to be booing me, obviously, but I’ve had some hostile crowds before. Nothing to the level of this, but I love it. I’m gonna relish the opportunity and I can’t wait to beat the Brazilian in front of his home crowd and then leave with the belt.”

Watch the full exclusive interview with Steve Erceg below:

Exclusive – Steve Erceg excited to share the stage with Jose Aldo at UFC 301: ‘The King of Rio is back!’

Steve Erceg can’t wait to share the stage at UFC 301 with one of the greatest featherweights of all…

Steve Erceg can’t wait to share the stage at UFC 301 with one of the greatest featherweights of all time — Jose Aldo.

On Saturday, May 4, UFC Hall of Famer returns to the Octagon for the first time in nearly two years when the promotion heads back to his home country for a loaded night of fights at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Stepping into the co-main event spotlight, ‘Junior’ will square off with streaking bantamweight standout Jonathan Martinez.

Speaking with Andrew Whitelaw in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Steve Erceg — who headlines UFC 301 opposite reigning and defending flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja — is thrilled about the opportunity to share MMA’s biggest stage with one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters the sport has ever seen.

“He’s one of my favorite fighters of all time,” Erceg said of Aldo. “My coach was a big leg kicker and Jose Aldo’s kicks to the leg are some of the best you’ll see. I’m a big fan of his and I understand that he probably won’t be a big fan of mine at the time, but it’s super cool to fight on a card with him and for Brazil. The ‘King of Rio’ is coming back. How can you not be excited?”

Steve Erceg breaks down his unlikely title fight with ‘the cannibal’ at UFC 301

Just three fights into his run with the promotion, Steve Erceg will fight for his first world title when he meets the flyweight division’s top dog, Alexandre Pantoja, in the UFC 301 headliner.

Pantoja goes into his latest defense with an overall record of 27-5 with eight of his wins coming by way of knockout and another 10 via submission. Recognizing the well-roundedness of his opponent, Erceg knows that he’s in for a tough test, but is undeniably excited for the opportunity to show up and show out against the best of the best.

“He’s very good. Obviously, he’s a world champion,” Erceg said. “His ground game is his best asset. He’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu. He’s great off the back and he’s a lot stronger than I think people give him credit for. There are positions where his opponent will get underhooks and you expect them to use that to get up, but they can’t seem to find an avenue to move.

“The other asset I guess would be his chin. He does a lot of things wrong on the feet, but he gets away with it because of his chin. He’s a great fighter. He’s tough. I’m not gonna just run over him. It’s going to be a very hard well-fought fight and we’re going to see who the best man is.”

Alexandre Pantoja defends against Steve Erceg

As for how Erceg plans on leaving Brazil with UFC gold wrapped around his waist, ‘AstroBoy’ believes it will come down to controlling the pace and taking away opportunities for the champ to gather himself mid-fight.

“If I let him dictate the pace, that is bad for me,” Erceg added. “I have to make sure that I take it out of his realm. He does burst really hard when he’s going, but he does need those rests to get his breath back and continue on with the fight. If I can take those rests away, I think it’s going to be a bad night for him.”

Currently, Pantoja is a sizeable favorite going into the scrap, sitting at -250 on a majority of sportsbooks. An understandable spot considering he holds victories over some of the biggest names to come through 125, including Manel Kape, Brandon Royval, Alex Perez, and former flyweight titleholder Brandon Moreno on two separate occasions.

“He’s beaten a lot of guys who I thought were more talented, that’s for sure. … He’s definitely got some good genetics,” Erceg concluded.

Watch the full exclusive interview with Steve Erceg below:

Alexandre Pantoja opens as big betting favorite to beat Steve Erceg in UFC 301 title fight in Brazil

Set to make his homecoming in May at UFC 301, undisputed flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja has opened as an…

Set to make his homecoming in May at UFC 301, undisputed flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja has opened as an impressive betting favorite to defeat surging division contender, Steve Erceg in the pair’s title offing in Rio de Janeiro this summer.

Pantoja, the current undisputed flyweight champion, has been sidelined since last December, landing an impressive decision win over recent UFC Mexico City headliner, Brandon Royval in the duo’s championship rematch.

As for Erceg, the three-fight promotional veteran cracked the flyweight top ten at the beginning of the month, landing a blistering knockout win over Matt Schnell – which earned him a Performance of the Night bonus, and subsequently, he is first title siege.

Alexandre Pantoja opens as favorite to beat Steve Erceg

And with betting lines officially on offer for UFC 301, Alexandre Pantoja is currently riding an impressive -258 betting favorite line over the +210 betting underdog, Steve Erceg ahead of their title showdown at the Jeunesse Arena.

A host of betting sites and markets are already offering odds on Pantoja’s title fight return to his native Brazil against Erceg, and punters can also play their favorite slot games and other betting games – which includes the chance to play a Big Bamboo Demo game whilst punting on May’s return to South America for the UFC.

Striking championship spoils back in July of last year during International Fight Week, Pantoja, the current number ten ranked pound-for-pound ranked fighter under the banner of the promotion – did so with a third career win over former two-time champion, Brandon Moreno.

Extending his impressive winning spree to five straight fights with his title defense win over Royval back in December, Pantoja turned in prior submission wins over Alex Perez, and Royval before that – to go with a decision success against the highly-touted Angolan-born contender, Manel Kape.

Improving to 12-1 as a professional with his knockout win over Schnell, Western Australia prospect, Erceg had landed a pair of victories against both David Dvorak and Alessandro Costa in his first two outings under the banner of the UFC – making his debut just last summer in June.

Fighting for gold in May, Erceg’s involvement at UFC 301 will come as a swift title charge for the Perth-born contender, who will be just eleven months deep into his tenure with the promotion by the time he faces Pantoja later this year in Brazil.

Along with Pantoja’s championship fight against Erceg at UFC 301, over the weekend, reports confirmed that former undisputed featherweight champion and Hall of Fame inductee, Jose Aldo would be snapping his almost two-year retirement from the sport in a bantamweight fight against Jonathan Martinez.

Jose Aldo snaps retirement set to fight at UFC 301 against Jonathan Martinez in Brazil — Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC

Aldo, a fan-favorite striker and the promotion’s inaugural featherweight titleholder, has been sidelined since he dropped a one-sided unanimous decision loss to surging number one ranked bantamweight contender, Merab Dvalishvili – snapping a three-fight winning spree against Rob Font, Pedro Munhoz, and a decision win over most recent title challenger, Marlon Vera – who challenged for gold just earlier this month at UFC 299 against the incumbent, Sean O’Malley.

Who wins at UFC 301 in May: Alexandre Pantoja or Steve Erceg?

Official – Alexandre Pantoja set to fight Steve Erceg in title clash at UFC 301 in Brazil on May 4

Undisputed flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja is set for his return to the Octagon later this summer – on home…

Undisputed flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja is set for his return to the Octagon later this summer – on home soil in a title fight defense against current number ten ranked contende, Australia’s Steve Erceg at UFC 301 on May 4. in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from the Jeunesse Arena.

Pantoja, the current undisputed flyweight champion, most recently co-headlined UFC 296 back in December, successfully defending his title in a rematch win over recent UFC Mexico City headliner, Brandon Royval – in turn lodging his first successful title defense.

As for Erceg, the three-fight Octagon veteran appears to have earned his first crack at organizational gold off the back of a second round KO win over Matt Schnell earlier this month at UFC Vegas 87 – which also landed him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Alexandre Pantoja meets Steve Erceg at UFC 301

The promotion’s official UFC Brasil account confirmed the pairing of Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg for the May pay-per-view card in South America this Friday night.

Alexandre Pantoja UFC Sergei Belski USA TODAY Sports — Jul 27, 2019; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Deiveson Figueriredo (blue gloves) and Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) during UFC 240 at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

“Main fight confirmed,” the UFC Brasil account posted tonight, as translated by Google Translate. “The flyweight champion @PantojaMMA fights at home and defends his belt against Steve Erceg at #UFC301, in Rio de Janeiro.”

Initially winning gold back in July of last year during International Fight Week, Pantoja turned in another career win over defending champion, Brandon Moreno, to land the championship in a split decision success.

The victory came as part of an impressive current five fight winning run for Rio native, Pantoja, who previously landed wins over Alex Perez, the above-mentioned, Royval, and a decision success against the highly-touted, Manel Kape.

12-1 as a professional, submission expert, Erceg landed in the Dana White-led promotion back in June of last year with a decision win over David Dvorak, before besting Alessandro Costa at UFC 295 in another judging win in Madison Square Garden in November last – prior to his knockout of Schnell earlier this month.

Who leaves Brazil with gold after UFC 301: Alexandre Pantoja or Steve Erceg?

Alexandre Pantoja believes a flyweight title fight against Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 301 ‘makes total sense’

Reigning flyweight world champion Alexandre Pantoja doesn’t particularly care who he fights as long as he has the opportunity…

Reigning flyweight world champion Alexandre Pantoja doesn’t particularly care who he fights as long as he has the opportunity to defend his title at UFC 301 when the promotion returns to Rio de Janeiro.

With wins over Manel Kape, Brandon Royval, and Brandon Moreno over the last few years, it appears to be slim pickings at the top of the 125-pound division. However, this Saturday’s return to The APEX in Las Vegas could produce a viable title challenge for Pantoja.

Undefeated division standout Muhammad Mokaev will face another fallen foe from Pantoja’s past, Alex Silva. If ‘The Punisher’ can put together a dominant performance, it may be enough to move him up the ladder and into his first UFC title opportunity.

“There’s enough time, even though [Mokaev] cuts a lot of weight,” Pantoja said on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. “I know that because he trained here at American Top Team before and he’s really big for the division. I think it makes total sense if he wins. Moreno had the ball on his court [and lost], and now Mokaev has it. Let’s see what happens.”

The biggest obstacle, as referenced by Pantoja, would be the relatively short turnaround. UFC 301 is scheduled to take place on May 4, 2024, giving Mokaev eight weeks to recover, train, and cut weight. Doable, yes, but it would certainly put him in an unfavorable position for such a big moment.

Thus far, Muhammad Mokaev is 10-0 in his pro MMA career with his last five victories coming under the UFC banner. He has stayed fairly active, earning back-to-back third-round submission victories over Jafel Filho and Tim Elliott in 2023.

“He’s a very talented kid,” Pantoja said of Mokaev. “He’s very talented and likes to learn, but he follows a different line of thought that I do. He was raised in London, so he’s not a legitimate Russian, but he has that culture behind him.”

Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to defend title on May 4 at UFC 301 in Rio — But against who?

Alexandre Pantoja is gearing up to defend his flyweight title later this year when the UFC returns to Rio…

Alexandre Pantoja is gearing up to defend his flyweight title later this year when the UFC returns to Rio de Janeiro. Against whom is of no consequence.

After besting Brandon Moreno for the 125-pound crown in July, ‘The Cannibal’ scored his first successful defense at UFC 296 last month with a decisive decision victory over Brandon Royval. Pantoja is now back in the gym preparing for his next title tilt which he expects to go down on May 4 when the UFC heads back to Brazil for what is expected to be UFC 301.

That comes according to Pantoja’s head coach, Marcos “Parrumpa” DaMatta of American Top Team, who recently told MMA Junkie that ‘The Cannibal’ is determined to defend the flyweight championship in his home country.

“He’s back training – he wants to defend his title in Rio in May,” DaMatta said. “That’s something that we’re really asking the UFC and his managers to make it happen, because it means a lot to him. It’s the first time that he’s going to fight in Rio de Janeiro. He even said that to me, ‘I’ve fought everywhere. I’ve fought in Korea. I’ve fought in the United States, Abu Dhabi, Europe – I’ve never said no to any fight, please just let me defend with my people.’”

There is no Clear-Cut Contender for Pantoja

Though Pantoja is more concerned with the location of his next title fight than the man challenging him, you can’t have one without the other. And when it comes to who is next in the flyweight division, there is no clear answer. A bout scheduled between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau earlier this month could have served as a potential title eliminator, but Kape failed to make weight resulting in the bout being scrapped.

No. 2 ranked contender Amir Albazi makes a lot of sense, but ‘The Prince’ was forced to withdraw from a fight with Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico City on February 24 due to a neck injury. Albaziz was ultimately replaced by Brandon Royval.

If Brandon Moreno comes out on top against Royval, DaMatta believes we could see a fourth clash between him and Pantoja, though that would only give ‘The Assassin Baby’ two and a half months to prepare for a title fight overseas.

“We’re just hoping that we get there in Rio,” DaMatta said. “There’s a lot of tough guys in the division. Why do the fourth Moreno fight? Why do the third Royval fight? Even Kape. We already fought Kape. But I believe Kape has a little bit of problem making weight. He was a bit too big in between fights. Hopefully he gets his things together because he’s a very dangerous opponent, very tough opponent. There’s a lot names. Albazi is still in the picture. Hopefully he gets healthy soon. We’ll see.

“I truly believe if Moreno wins in Mexico City, UFC is going to try to push for the fourth Moreno fight. The only problem that I see is in between Feb. 24 and May 4, is exactly 10 weeks. The first and last week doesn’t count. He’s going to have eight weeks to prepare for a fight. Since he’s already preparing, hopefully he doesn’t get hurt or anything and we can make it happen in Brazil. I think he will say yes because he won the title in Brazil. He doesn’t have any problems going to Brazil and fighting a Brazilian. So let’s see.”

Per an interview with Flamengo, ‘The Cannibal’ confirmed that he will defend his title on May 4 in Rio. We know the when. Now we just need the who.