Tag: Steve Erceg

UFC 301: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 301 odds between Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round flyweight championship bout in the main event, Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg meet Saturday at UFC 301 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN+. The prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET and is on pay-per-view.

Records: Pantoja (27-5-0) | Erceg (12-1-0)

Pantoja won the flyweight strap at UFC 290 with a split-decision victory over Brandon Moreno, and he posted a unanimous-decision win over Brandon Royval at UFC 296 in his 1st title defense. He has picked up 5 consecutive victories since his last loss to Askar Askarov in July 2020 on Fight Island.

Erceg has been fast-tracked for a title shot.

The Aussie flyweight has won 3 straight fights since making his company debut at UFC 289 with a unanimous-decision win over David Dvorak. He stopped Alessando Costa via unanimous decision, and he picked up a 2nd-round KO/TKO over Matt Schnell last time out in early March. Now, Erceg gets a chance at his 1st main event.

Pantoja gives up a half-inch in reach, and Erceg has a slightly better significant strikes landed per minute at 4.57-to-4.32.

However, Pantoja has a 53.70% significant strikes accuracy percentage, a 2.20 takedown average and 48.08% takedown accuracy percentage. He also has a slight 0.97-to-0.85 submission average, in addition to fighting in his native Brazil, where a hostile crowd could overwhelm Erceg.

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UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Pantoja -185 (bet $185 to win $100) | Erceg +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
  • Over/Under: 3.5 rounds (Over -160 | Under +120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +110 | No -150)

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UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

PANTOJA (-185) is just a little too expensive for a standalone bet. However, if you include the champ in a multi-fighter parlay, it’s perfectly OK.

Erceg (+150) is a fighter on the rise, but it’s not his time now. This is his 1st main event, and the lights are going to be too bright. He is fighting what is easily his toughest opponent, too. He could potentially be a title holder down the road, but he isn’t going to Brazil and ruining the party of Pantoja in front of his countrymen.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (-160) is a strong play. While Pantoja is expected to get the job done, he has needed to go the distance and wow the judges with his strikes and takedowns to win and keep his strap. That won’t change against Erceg, even in front of a pro-Pantoja crowd.

YES (+110): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? at plus-money is an even better value. The Brazilian champ has just 2 finishes in the past 6 fights, while Erceg has gone the distance in 2 of his 3 fights at the UFC level.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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Video: UFC 301 preview: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg, Jose Aldo returns, more

Our panel on “Spinning Back Clique” previews Saturday’s UFC 301, including Pantoja vs. Erceg, Jose Aldo’s return and more.

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel breaks down the upcoming UFC 301 pay-per-view event.

In the headlining bout, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] defends his UFC flyweight title against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] makes his return to the UFC to take on [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]. UFC 301 goes down this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Although it might not be the biggest pay-per-view event on paper, there are several important storylines to analyze and break down.

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Farah Hannoun, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia discuss all things UFC 301.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/1W_eLDUuvQE

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Video: UFC 301 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs with title fight headliner, Jose Aldo’s return, more

UFC 301 ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.

UFC 301ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.

The weigh-ins took place at Rio Arena. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 13 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, including the [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] flyweight title headliner, [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] welcoming UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] back from retirement in the co-main event, and more.

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

UFC 301 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Nightswimming deserves a quiet night with Karolina Kowalkiewicz

In Episode 5 of UFC 301 “Embedded,” Karolina Kowalkiewicz heads to the beach and the fighters face off at a press conference.

The UFC returns with its fifth pay-per-view of 2024, which means the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 301 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, Brazilian flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). And in the co-main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) ends his retirement for one more fight in Rio against [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champion Alexandre Pantoja, Steve Erceg, Jose Aldo, and Anthony Smith talk at media day. Champ Alex Pereira, DC and Big Nog pop by. Karolina Kowalkiewicz walks on the beach. Erceg trains with a legend; Paul Craig embraces pressure.

Also see:

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

UFC 301 main, co-main event official weigh-in highlights video

UFC 301 official weigh-ins are complete, and everyone was on the mark for Saturday’s event.

UFC 301 weigh-ins took place Friday, and the main and co-main event fighters were on their marks for the top of the card.

The weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in Rio de Janeiro. The nearby Farmasi Arena hosts Saturday’s event (pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+). Check out the video above to see [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) on the scale, as well as [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) and [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

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

Renato Moicano: ‘I don’t think it was very smart’ for Alexandre Pantoja to fight Steve Erceg at UFC 301

Renato Moicano thinks Muhammad Mokaev would have created more buzz than Steve Erceg as a title challenger.

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] would have created more buzz than [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] as a UFC title challenger.

Despite Mokaev having more experience in the octagon, flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) wound up drawing Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) headliner at Rio Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Moicano, who’s good friends and American Top Team teammates with Pantoja, thinks Erceg isn’t a big enough name to draw viewers in after being in the UFC for only a year.

“I am a friend with Pantoja,” Moicano said on the “MIGHTYcast” podcast with Demetrious Johnson. “He’s my boy. I like him a lot. Hard worker, dedicated guy, always in the gym, but I didn’t like this fight at all. This guy (Erceg), he’s dangerous but only three fights in the UFC. Nobody knows who he is. He’s not going to sell any pay-per-views. I think Pantoja wanted bad to fight in Brazil because it’s his home, right?

“But I don’t think it was very smart in the business side. People don’t realize how this is a business, right? We need to create a story behind the fights. Like Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, they got bigger because of the beef. UFC profited off that, they profited off that. If you see Pantoja fighting another guy that nobody knows, I don’t think it’s good for the show. In my book, Pantoja is better than him everywhere.”

Erceg and Mokaev (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) both most recently fought at UFC Fight Night 238 in March. Erceg knocked out Matt Schnell, and Mokaev outgrappled former title challenger Alex Perez. Although Erceg had the more exciting performance, Moicano thinks Mokaev vs. Pantoja is a bigger fight.

“I’m not really excited to watch the fight,” Moicano said. “I would like to watch Pantoja against Mokaev. I know a lot of people give trash to Mokaev because he had a tough fight against Perez, but I think he would sell the fight more.”

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

Michael Bisping: ‘Nasty bastard’ Alexandre Pantoja has no weak areas, beats Steve Erceg at UFC 301

Michael Bisping doesn’t think Steve Erceg is ready for Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] is ready for [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defends his flyweight title against Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 301 (Pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) main event at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

Bisping marveled at Pantoja’s resume, which includes two wins over Brandon Moreno, two wins over Brandon Royval, as well as top-ranked contenders Alex Perez and Manel Kape.

“Alexandre Pantoja, this man’s phenomenal,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He’s pretty much gone through the entire flyweight division: Brandon Moreno, the Royvals, the Kapes. You name it, he’s been there and done it.

“The man’s phenomenal. He’s got no weak areas. He’s got a strong mind. He’s resilient. He’s got an amazing gas tank. He can strike, he can wrestle, he’s got world-class jiu-jitsu and he’s a nasty bastard on top of it.”

Pantoja opened up as a sizable favorite, but the line has gotten closer on fight week. The champion is currently a -200 favorite according to FanDuel, while Erceg is a +154 underdog.

Bisping sees Pantoja as a big favorite, and would view an Erceg win as a massive upset.

“Will he get it done? (I) love Steve Erceg – nice guy. But this isn’t the one,” Bisping said. “It’s just not the one. Not right now, and I say that with respect to Steve. I wish you all the best, brother. I hope you can prove me wrong, and I really do mean that.

“Alexandre Pantoja is too skilled, too experienced. But you never know. One shot is all it takes in those 4-ounce gloves. But of course, in the main event, I’ve got the one and only Alexandre Pantoja.”

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

UFC 301 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Jose Aldo and Alexandre Pantoja meet up with a Brazilian soccer legend

In Episode 4 of UFC 301 “Embedded,” Jose Aldo and Alexandre Pantoja connect with Zico on the pitch.

The UFC returns with its fifth pay-per-view of 2024, which means the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 301 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

In the main event, Brazilian flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) puts his title on the line against [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). And in the co-main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) ends his retirement for one more fight in Rio against [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Steve Erceg hits a street party. Caio Borralho trains. Karolina Kowalkiewicz embraces the sun. Michel Pereira gets PT and game plans. Alessandro Costa dreams big with Diego Lopes. Champ Alexandre Pantoja faces off with Erceg.

Also see:

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

Alessandro Costa motivated to see former rival Steve Erceg fight for UFC title

Alessandro Costa sees the flyweight title a lot closer now that his former rival Steve Erceg is challenging for the belt at UFC 301.

Like most up-and-coming fighters, [autotag]Alessandro Costa[/autotag] envisions himself becoming UFC champion. However, that dream is starting to become a little more real for the Brazilian.

Costa (13-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to the octagon this Saturday at UFC 301, a card headlined by [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag], the man who he last fought. Erceg is challenging champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] for his UFC flyweight title. Costa can’t help but think where he’d be if the closely contested bout against Erceg back in November would’ve gone a little differently.

“If I would’ve won, maybe I’d be fighting for the title,” Costa told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Pantoja already beat everyone beneath him in the rankings. He already fought everyone. So possibly, if I would’ve beaten Steve, I would’ve taken his spot in the rankings, and maybe I would be fighting for the title. I did think about it and thought it was interesting.

“I see myself fighting for the title, but with what just happened and seeing Steve up there fighting for the title, I have even more confidence that I can get there. I see a title fight a lot closer now.”

Costa lost a close unanimous decision 29-28 on all scorecards in favor of Erceg back at UFC 295. His bout against Peru’s Kevin Borjas (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) this Saturday will be the first fight since. Meanwhile, Erceg went on to fight once again, knocking out Matt Schnell in March before getting the title shot at UFC 301.

The 28-year-old Costa is excited to see how the main event plays out. He favors Pantoja but thinks Erceg has a solid chance of pulling off an upset.

As far as his own fight, Costa is excited to step in the octagon. The Brazilian, who lives and trains out of Mexico, will be fighting professionally in his native country for the very first time.

“I thought I would feel pressure when my manager, Jason (House), told me that I was fighting in Brazil because I would be fighting at home against an opponent from another country, but the truth is that I feel very good,” Costa said. “I think it’s because of my experience, having fought someone from the rankings and people ahead of me. Also, I’ve been alongside Diego, who fought at UFC 300 – a historic event. I think those things have helped me remain calm.”

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

UFC 301’s Steve Erceg aware of unusual title shot opportunity, still feels pressure to win

Just because Steve Erceg might’ve been gifted a UFC flyweight title shot doesn’t mean he isn’t feeling pressure to beat Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] doesn’t deny that his shot at the UFC flyweight title came under unusual circumstances.

Less than a year since signing with the UFC, Erceg already finds himself headlining a UFC pay-per-view and challenging for the undisputed belt at 125 pounds. Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) this Saturday in the top billing of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro – something few saw coming.

“I know I wasn’t at the top of everyone’s mind when it came to a title shot,” Ergec said Wednesday at UFC 301 media day. “But just the way the division was with Pantoja already beating all the challengers, people are injured and the only other guy up for the shot was (Muhammad) Mokaev, I was on the same card as him, and I had a more exciting fight than him, (so) UFC decided to give me the shot.

“I’m here to be the best guy in the world, so whether I’m an underdog or favorite, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m going in there to fight another dude in a cage, and whoever is best is going to come out on top.”

Some say this is an ideal and pressure-free position for Erceg, as few expect him to win given that he’s ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s official rankings and still new in the promotion.

However, Erceg doesn’t buy that. He has high expectations and sees himself with just as much pressure as the champion.

“Honestly, I believe there’s just as much pressure on me as there is on Pantoja,” Erceg said. “I know that, yeah, technically he’s the champ, and he’s the favorite and all that, but I’ve been working for this dream my whole life, and this is the culmination of all my hard work. To lose here would be devastating. I have all the pressure on my shoulders, and I’m confident in the work I’ve done over the years. I’ve worked very hard for a very long time.”

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