Given the disparity in ranking, it should come as no surprise [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] is heavily expected to retain flyweight gold against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] in the recently announced UFC 301 headliner.
Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) will attempt to make a second consecutive defense of his 125-pound belt when he meets Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at the May 4 event from Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). The champion is fighting on home soil against a significantly less experienced challenger, and the betting odds reflect the advantages.
According to the opening UFC 301 odds from FanDuel, Pantoja is listed as a –280 betting favorite, meaning a $280 bet on him would yield a $100 return. Erceg comes back as a +210 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Australian would come with a $210 payout.
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Pantoja, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, claimed the title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 in July. He registered his first defense with a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 in December.
No. 14-ranked Erceg made his octagon debut in June and has since reeled off three consecutive wins, with the highlight on that stretch being a second-round knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238 earlier this month.
The latest UFC 301 lineup includes:
- Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg – for flyweight title
- Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
- Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
- Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith
- Makhmud Muradov vs. Michel Pereira
- Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
- Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
- Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
- Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
- Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
- William Gomis vs. Jean Silva
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.