Perth’s Steve Erceg to Compete for UFC World Flyweight Title in Brazil

Perth native Steve “Astroboy” Erceg is gearing up to face Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja in a high-stakes showdown for the UFC world flyweight championship this weekend in Pantoja’s homeland of Brazil. This bout, scheduled to headline UFC 301, marks Erceg’s fourth appearance within the promotion since his debut back in June of last year.

With an impressive professional record of 12-1 and currently riding an 11-fight win streak, Erceg is looking to claim the title after his recent second-round knockout victory over American fighter Matt Schnell. His opponent, Pantoja, boasts a record of 27-5 and is on a five-fight win streak, including a title defense against Brandon Royval late last year.

Pantoja secured the flyweight title by defeating Brandon Moreno in July 2023, just a month following Erceg’s UFC debut. Fans can catch the action-packed UFC 301 event via Main Event and Kayo Sports, or opt to view it at select venues across Perth.

The highly-anticipated showdown is set to take place on Sunday, May 5th, with the main card kicking off at 10am Perth time, and Erceg’s pivotal fight scheduled for 12:15pm. As of now, it remains uncertain whether a pre-fight press conference will be conducted for UFC 301, as was the case for the previous event held in Brazil, UFC 283, where no press conference took place.

Official weigh-ins for the fighters will be held on Saturday, May 4th at 8pm Perth time, with a livestream of the weight-in show available on the UFC’s YouTube channel and UFC FightPass. Ceremonial weigh-ins will follow at 5am Perth time the next day, broadcasted on the UFC’s social media platforms and UFC FightPass.

Image Credit: Steve Erceg via Facebook