Steve Erceg, who is set to challenge Brazilian flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, has said he anticipates a hostile reaction from the crowd if he wins, but believes it’s part of the authentic Brazilian experience.
Steve Erceg’s arrival in Brazil has been met with open arms. But, he’s not expecting the same hospitality come fight night.
UFC 301 is set for this Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Erceg is set to challenge Brazilian flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in the main event. It’s a big deal. This is the first time UFC has returned to Rio since UFC 283 back in January 2023. That night? Not so great for the home team. Both Glover Teixeira and Deiveson Figueiredo lost their titles.
Figueiredo had to hand over his belt to Brandon Moreno. The crowd wasn’t too pleased. Moreno left the arena with a mob of disgruntled fans venting their frustrations. Erceg? He’s actually looking forward to a similar reaction if he manages to take down Pantoja.
“I definitely expect the same,” Erceg said during UFC 301 media day. “To go out there and get a finish would be amazing. And yeah, I expect bottles to be thrown at me as I leave the arena. But, I think that’s part of the authentic Brazilian experience.”
Fight night is still a few days off. So far, Erceg’s been having a blast in Rio. The fans have been nothing but friendly. The Australian fighter, known for his soft-spoken nature, has won over fans with a 3-0 record in the UFC. Not to mention his entertaining fighting style that’s bagged him two Performance of the Night bonuses.
Erceg’s quirky personality has also turned heads. For his face-off with Pantoja this week, he showed up in a plain blue shirt. Looking more like a tourist than a UFC headliner.
“It’s not a fashion contest,” Erceg said of his attire. “I’m just here wearing what I think is comfortable. I am a tourist. So, I’m over here doing my part to enjoy the scenery as well as come here and fight some guy.”
Despite his strong start in the UFC and an 11-fight winning streak dating back to his days on Australia’s regional scene, Erceg is often seen as an unlikely title fight challenger. His victories over Matt Schnell, Alessandro Costa, and David Dvorak may not be headline-grabbing, but with Pantoja having defeated several top 10 opponents multiple times and other flyweight contenders unavailable, Erceg got the call.
Erceg is fully aware of the circumstances that led to his title fight opportunity. And he’s not about to waste it.
“I know that I wasn’t on the top of everybody’s mind when it came to a title shot,” Erceg admitted. “But the way the division was, Pantoja had already beaten all of the challengers. People are injured. The only other guy that really was in line for the shot was [Muhammad] Mokaev. I was on the same card as him, I had a more exciting fight than he did, and the UFC decided to give me the shot.”
“I’m here to be the best guy in the world,” Erceg declared. “So whether I’m an underdog, whether I’m the favorite, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m going to go in there and I’m going to fight another dude in the cage. And whoever’s best is going to come out on top.”