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Photos – Alexandre Pantoja faces off with Steve Erceg in front of Sugarloaf Mountain ahead of UFC 301 title fight

Ahead of their undisputed flyweight championship fight this weekend in Brazil at UFC 301, championship stars, Alexandre Pantoja and…

Ahead of their undisputed flyweight championship fight this weekend in Brazil at UFC 301, championship stars, Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg squared off for a face-to-face meeting in front of the Sugarloaf mountain – taking in the Rio de Janeiro scenery.

Pantoja, the current undisputed flyweight champion – approaching two fights into his title reign, returns to his native Brazil for the first time since a 2014 victory outside the UFC – making his promotional debut on home soil, nine years deep into his tenure.

Pantoja UFC 301 Buda Mendes — Mandatory Credit: Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC

For Erceg, the relatively organizational newcomer features in a championship setting for the first time since his move from Eternal MMA back in the summer of last year. And turning in a trio of consecutive victories since his move from the Australian promotion, Erceg looks to upset the applecart in his clash with Pantoja.

Alexandre Pantoja faces off with Steve Erceg in Rio

Squaring off for the first time this week ahead of Saturday’s title fight showcase at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Pantoja and Erceg were backdropped by the region’s huge Sugarloaf mountain – which also hosts the massive Christ the Redeemer statue.

Winning spoils at 125lbs back in July of last year during International Fight Week at UFC 290, Alexandre Pantoja turned in another career win over rival, Brandon Moreno to mint himself as the undisputed flyweight champion.

Erceg UFC 302 Buda Mendes — Mandatory Credit: Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC

Returning in December at UFC 296, Pantoja landed his first successful defense of the championship with another decision win in a hard-fought rematch against Brandon Royval.

Earning his shot at Octagon just last month, Erceg turned in his first knockout win since landing in the promotion, finishing Matt Schnell with a blistering stoppage – landing himself Performance of the Night honors to boot.

UFC 301 will also host the return of Brazilian icon, Hall of Fame inductee, Jose Aldo – who competes in his final contracted bout against Jonathan Martinez, having remained sidelined for the past two years since his clash with Merab Dvalishvili.

Who wins at UFC 301 this weekend: Alexandre Pantoja or Steve Erceg?

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?

UFC referee Chris Tognoni roasts Matt Schnell following brutal knockout loss to Steve Erceg

Matt Schnell was on the wrong side of one of UFC Vegas 87’s most brutal knockouts. Just 26 seconds…

Matt Schnell was on the wrong side of one of UFC Vegas 87’s most brutal knockouts.

Just 26 seconds into the second round, Schnell’s opponent, Steve Erceg, unleashed a hellacious left that instantly sent ‘Danger’ crashing to the canvas. Perhaps more brutal than the final blow was the sound of Schnell’s head bouncing off the canvas.

STEVE ERCEG MAKES MATT SCHNELL GO TO SLEEP #UFCVegas87 pic.twitter.com/pKdi8VuOIh

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) March 2, 2024

The KO earned Erceg a well-deserved $50,000 performance bonus. Sadly, all Schnell got for his trouble was being roasted by referee Chris Tognoni who was assigned to the main card opener.

“Man, I’m not sure what was worse, the punch or you hitting your head on the canvas, man,” Tognoni said while patting Schnell on the chest. “You’ll see on the film.”

“Did you hear it?” he asked Schnell’s corner, who responded with a small nod.

Though the subject of some criticism in the past, Tognoni has proven himself to be a competent referee, for the most part, and likely meant well with his comments. However, his poor choice of words and/or delivery made it seem like he was sh*t-talking Schnell seconds after his soul was separated from his body.

A 13-fight veteran of the UFC, Matt Schnell has now lost three of his last four bouts inside the Octagon, the lone win coming against Sumudaerji via second-round submission in July 2022.

As for Steve Erceg, the Aussie standout is now 3-0 since signing with the promotion last year. In addition to his victory inside The APEX on Saturday, ‘Astro Boy’ has also scored wins over David Dvo?ák and Alessandro Costa.