Tag: Steve Erceg

Alex Perez not surprised Steve Erceg got UFC title shot, despite Muhammad Mokaev’s ‘tougher resume’

Alex Perez explains why he’s not surprised by Steve Erceg’s UFC title shot at flyweight.

LAS VEGAS – Many were puzzled to see [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] get a title shot against UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja – but not [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag].

Although he might not agree with it, Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) understands very well why Erceg ended up getting a title fight over [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag], who many, including Perez, thought was more deserving of the opportunity.

“If you look at resumes, Mokaev has a tougher resume, I believe,” Perez said at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 55 media day. “He’s fought longer in the UFC, but he’s also fought Tim Elliot, who fought Demetrious (Johnson), and I fought (Alexandre) Pantoja and Deiveson (Figueiredo), and he beat me.

“But in this sport, you’re just as good as your last performance. It doesn’t matter what you did. Like I said, Steve went out there and did a good job and fought a ranked guy and beat him, then Alessandro (Costa), then comes in and finishes Matt Schnell. That’s very impressive.”

Mokaev has twice as many wins in the UFC as Erceg. Unlike Erceg, he’s unbeaten in his MMA career and has wins over two former UFC title challengers – Perez and Tim Elliott. Yet, the man fighting Pantoja in the main event of UFC 301 in Brazil on May 4 is Erceg, not Mokaev.

Perez, who returns this Saturday against Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN 55 (ESPN, ESPN+), believes it’s more than just having a better resume, it’s also about putting on dominant fights and getting finishes – something Perez feels Mokaev hasn’t done.

“Mokaev went out there, and I was coming off the couch after a year layoff, and it was hard fought,” Perez said. “I thought I won the fight. Obviously, the judges didn’t see it that way, and I can’t disagree with them, but it wasn’t his best performance. It’s also a business. I understand this guy is going in there and putting people to sleep, so why not give him a shot. It’s a business, but it’s also fighting, and you’re just as good as your last performance.”

As far as the fight between Pantoja and Erceg, Perez believes the champion will retain his belt even though he finds Erceg a formidable challenge.

“I give it to Pantoja because of the experience, but Steve is tough because he’s got crisp boxing and Pantoja has shown to get hurt,” Perez said. “Steve, I’ve seen him during fight week, and he’s a big dud, and I think I’m big for the division. He’s tall and has very good boxing. It’s hard today if he’s good on the ground because no one has taken him there. I’ve never done studies on him, so I don’t if he’s been taken down, but he’s looking like a stud. But Pantoja with the experience, and he’s got a great camp in American Top Team, I’m going to go with that.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Steve Erceg on UFC 301: People wouldn’t have been super excited about Muhammad Mokaev title shot

Steve Erceg believes the UFC simply saw him as a more exciting option than Muhammad Mokaev for a title shot.

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] believes the UFC saw him as a more exciting option than [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] for a title shot.

Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) challenges flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio, getting the opportunity over undefeated Mokaev (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

Erceg knocked out Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. On the same night, Mokaev beat former title challenger Alex Perez, but Erceg doesn’t believes Mokaev left the best impression with his performance, despite having more octagon experience than him.

“Two of the clear guys, (Brandon) Moreno and (Brandon) Royval, just fought for the title and lost,” Erceg told Middle Easy. “(Amir) Albazi and a few other people are injured. There’s others that have missed weight or haven’t fought in a while, and so it really was between me and Mokaev.

“Mokaev, he’s very young, and I don’t think people would have been super excited about seeing him fight for the title after his last performance. So, I think they were just trying to keep it interesting.”

Erceg agrees with Pantoja saying he’s lucky to get the title shot but thinks he’s made the most out of his UFC opportunities so far.

“I have been in the UFC not for very long, but my first fight was against a top-10 guy (Dvorak), then I fought in New York against (Alessandro) Costa, and then I finally got the Matt Schnell fight who again, top-10 ranked, beat him emphatically,” Erceg said. “So, I just think they liked the storyline there and obviously I’m willing to take on anybody and find out who the toughest guy is.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Muhammad Mokaev: Steve Erceg ‘still green,’ loses to champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301

Muhammad Mokaev thinks Steve Erceg is too inexperienced to beat Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] is too inexperienced to beat [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Flyweight champion Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defends his title at against Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio. Mokaev was passed up for a title shot despite defeating former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238. Erceg knocked out Matt Schnell on the same night to earn the title opportunity over him.

With Erceg having never gone past Round 3, Mokaev sees Pantoja’s pressure being too much.

“I think Pantoja will win,” Mokaev told TNT Sports. “I think Erceg is still green, still not as experienced to fight Pantoja. Pantoja is very, very experienced. He’s a dog in this game. He’s a bully fighter.

“He comes, tries to finish you from early seconds, and then when he cannot finish you, he breaks. That’s the key I’ve learned from watching Pantoja, I’ve trained with him, and I know I have the keys to beat him.”

As for Erceg, Mokaev doesn’t see him hanging with Pantoja on the ground.

“Erceg has really good boxing, but ground game is not there,” Mokaev continued. “Especially he just fought, he’s not a wrestler, he doesn’t have the condition to work for five rounds. Every great striker once they get taken down, they cannot strike second and third round the same as they can in the first round.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Muhammad Mokaev baffled by Steve Erceg’s UFC 301 title shot: ‘They can delay, but they cannot deny my destiny’

Muhammad Mokaev was pretty angry to find out that Steve Erceg got a UFC flyweight title shot over him.

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] was pretty angry to find out that [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] got a UFC flyweight title shot over him.

At UFC Fight Night 238 earlier this month, Mokaev (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) defeated former title challenger Alex Perez. On the same night, Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) notched his first octagon finish when he knocked out Matt Schnell. With flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) looking to defend his title at UFC 301 on May 4 in Rio, the promotion opted to give Erceg the title shot over Mokaev.

“They gave the opportunity to ranked No. 10, Steve Erceg, who has only three fights in the UFC,” Mokaev told talkSPORT. “I have more finishes in the UFC than he has fights in the UFC. I don’t know why they’ve done this, but what me and my team decided, I’m fighting everybody in this division. They can delay, but they cannot deny my destiny.”

Mokaev thinks the lack of a finish is what hurt his chances.

“They told me before the fight, if you finish Alex Perez, you’re fighting for the belt,” Mokaev said. “I didn’t finish Alex Perez. I didn’t feel well in the morning of the fight. I know casual fans don’t care how you feel. They will say, ‘Excuses,’ but it’s not just me, 95 percent of the fighters don’t feel well in the training camps. Not going into fights 100 percent, it was me that fight.”

Mokaev has shifted his focus to Brandon Royval, who was also campaigning for a second shot at Pantoja after defeating Brandon Moreno at UFC Fight Night 237. Mokaev wants Royval on the UFC’s rumored Manchester card in July.

“Soon I will be back Just waiting on Royval , now sure if he wants to come to Manchester 🤔.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Video: At UFC 301, Alexandre Pantoja faces surprise opponent Steve Erceg. Why this matchup?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the surprising UFC 301 main event matchup, Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg for the 125-pound title.

UFC 301 has its headliner, and flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] will be putting his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag].

Pantoja will get his fight on home soil in Brazil, while Erceg, No. 14 flyweight in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie men’s flyweight rankings, gets a crack at UFC gold after just three fights with the promotion.

How did we end up with this matchup? Is this a message to the rest of the flyweight division that were passed up for the opportunity, or was this simply a case of timing being in favor of the Australian flyweight?

Those were the questions asked about this matchup in this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” with Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, Brian “Goze” Garcia and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

UFC 301 odds: Alexandre Pantoja opens as sizeable favorite to defend title vs. Steve Erceg

Given the disparity in ranking, it should come as no surprise Alexandre Pantoja is heavily favored to retain gold at UFC 301.

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.

Alexandre Pantoja: Steve Erceg good name but ‘so lucky’ to get UFC 301 title shot

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja thinks Steve Erceg’s title shot is a case of timing luck.

UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]’s title shot is a case of timing.

It came as a surprise to many that Erceg wound up getting the next shot at Pantoja after notching just his third octagon win with a knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He challenges Pantoja for the flyweight title in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio.

While Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also didn’t foresee Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) being his next opponent, he argued that everyone is talented in the top 15.

“I didn’t expect it to be Steve Erceg, but it’s a good name, too,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “That’s funny because if you watch my interviews, all the time I was talking about in the flyweight division, you can take someone from No. 10 and fight with the champion or the No. 1 contender, and it’s going to be a good matchup. In this division, all the guys are so good.”

Pantoja also didn’t have too many fresh matchups as options. Erceg threw his name in the hat in an interview with MMA Junkie, and Muhammad Mokaev and Brandon Royval also campaigned.

“I fought with all the division,” Pantoja said. “I fought with the No. 1 (Royval) two times, the No. 2 (Moreno) three times, No. 3 right now is Amir Albazi, who has an injury. I fought Kai Kara-France before, Manel Kape, Alex Perez, Matt Schnell, I fought everyone. I think that guy is so lucky because all these things happened.”

Pantoja is motivated by the fact that Erceg hasn’t had to go through the trenches to get to him.

“He’s coming fresh for that fight because he didn’t fight the No. 8 or No. 6 or No. 4 like me,” Pantoja said. “I needed to fight with all these guys, and I had a lot of wars with Manel Kape, Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, that gives me a lot of emotion.

“I lost a couple of years of my life in those fights, and that guy Steve comes so fresh. He didn’t fight the guys at the top of the division. All the fighters in the flyweight division are very good. He has good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, it’s going to be very interesting for me.”

As for undefeated Mokaev, who notched a win over former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238, Pantoja expects to see him very soon.

“I really thought at that time I’d fight with Mokaev, but I don’t know what plans the UFC prepared for me,” Pantoja admitted. “Maybe they want Mokaev to fight with Royval first. It’s going to be a very good matchup.

“Also, Mokaev is so young. He has a chance to prove he deserves to fight for the title. I know 100 percent if I defend my belt in Brazil, I’m going to see Mokaev next.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Spinning Back Clique LIVE: Diaz-Masvidal boxing rematch, UFC 301’s main event, Jose Aldo’s return, Islam Makhachev speaks

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal 2, UFC 301’s headliner, the return of Jose Aldo, and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia, live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] will run it back in June, but this time, the rivals will meet inside a boxing ring rather than an MMA cage. The former UFC mainstays will compete independently of the organization where they made their names and, in fact, will fight on the same night as UFC 302. The name power is there for this rematch between two of the more popular MMA fighters in recent memory, but should it have been in a cage like the first meeting?
  • [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] has his next flyweight title challenger: [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]. UFC 301 has its headliner, and it’s a flyweight title fight that nobody saw coming. Pantoja gets the opportunity to defend his title on home soil, but the challenger in UFC-ranked No. 10 Erceg caught many, including several peers in his division, by surprise. Is this a case of perfect timing for Erceg, or there a larger message being sent to the division?
  • After walking away from the UFC after his 20th fight, to an instant Hall of Fame induction while dabbling in professional boxing, former featherweight king [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is back. At UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Aldo will return to action against Jonathan Martinez, adding some much-needed weight to a light pay-per-view event. More importantly, what should be expected of the 37-year-old Aldo in return to the UFC?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] crossed paths at a sports convention this past weekend. The viral moment saw the two heavyweights exchange respectful words in a face-to-face encounter. Aspinall, the heavyweight interim title holder, placed his hand on Jones’ shoulder, which prompted the UFC champ to immediately remove it before continuing with the brief interaction. You could feel the respect, and also the tension. Should the UFC change course here from Jones’ expected fight against Stipe Miocic and unify the UFC title next?
  • [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] spoke to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, hitting on several interesting topics. Among them were the reasons for wanting Dustin Poirier to be his next title challenger, his thoughts on the BMF title fight between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway, and why he could not take on Leon Edwards in a champ vs. champ fight at UFC 300. What struck you the most about this interview with the UFC lightweight champion?

Alexandre Pantoja to defend flyweight title in UFC 301 main event vs. Steve Erceg

Alexandre Pantoja is set to defend UFC flyweight title against Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 headliner on May 6 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]’s next title defense will be on home soil.

The UFC flyweight champion has been booked for his second title defense. He will take on [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 301, which will take place on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The promotion officially announced the matchup on Friday.

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) won the UFC flyweight title in an all-out war against then-champion Brandon Moreno back in July. He then defended his belt this past December in a unanimous decision win over Brandon Royval. Pantoja is on a five-fight winning streak. This is also the first time Pantoja fights in Brazil under the UFC banner. The last time he competed in Brazil was back in 2013.

Meanwhile, Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) gets the opportunity to fight for UFC gold in just his fourth fight with the promotion. He debuted in June with a unanimous decision win over David Dvorak, and then followed up with wins over Alessandro Costa and then Matt Schnell, which was earlier this month.

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With the addition, the current UFC 301 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg – for flyweight title
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Michel Pereira
  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Vitor Petrino vs. Anthony Smith
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • William Gomis vs. Jean Silva
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Steve Erceg ready for Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 if he gets the call

Steve Erceg would jump at the opportunity if he was offered a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] would jump at the opportunity if he was offered a title shot against [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) scored his first octagon finish when he knocked out Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He called out Brandon Moreno after the win.

Flyweight champion Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is looking to defend his title at UFC 301 May 4 in Rio. With Pantoja having already beaten most of the top contenders, Erceg is ready to make a quick turnaround if he’s approached.

“It is super fast, but I told you I wanted to get to the title as fast as I can,” Erceg told MMA Junkie. “I assume they’re probably going to give it to (Muhammad) Mokaev, even off of his poor performance just because that’s what Pantoja asked for. But if they call me, I’m going to step up. I’m here to show that I’m the best fighter in the world, so two days, eight days, five weeks, whichever it is, I’ll show up and put on a show.”

Pantoja mentioned Erceg as a possibility. Mokaev defeated former title challenger Alex Perez, also at UFC Fight Night 238, and the champion has narrowed it down to those two fighters. He dismissed Brandon Royval at an option because he was his most recent title defense.

“Now I’m 9-0 with all the top 10, but you have good new names coming to the division,” Pantoja told Sportsnet. “You have Mokaev making a great fight with Alex Perez. You have Manel Kape, but I already beat him. You have (Erceg), the guy from Australia – he’s really good.

“He fought Matt Schnell. He looks like Steve Carell. He’s a good fighter. I knocked out Matt Schnell in the first round. He did it in the second. Maybe it’s a good option for the UFC, too.”

Erceg envisions a potential fight with Pantoja being a tough one, but sees holes he can expose.

“Until I beat Schnell and put him outside the top 10, I think he had nine wins over the current top 10,” Erceg said. “So it’s hard to argue that he’s not the best guy in the division. He’s a really good fighter. Obviously, his bread and butter is beating people with pressure and taking people’s backs, that sort of thing.

“His striking isn’t bad, but it does get sloppy pretty quickly. Again, he pushes so hard that it’s hard for him not to get tired – so I think he’s very exploitable. That’s what makes it fun. It’s going to be a tough fight. It’s going to be a hard fight. It’s going to be fun, for sure.”

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