Steve Erceg has actually gotten a warm welcome in Brazil up until now. He isn’t anticipating the reception to be so favorable on battle night. In the primary occasion of UFC 301 this Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Erceg challenges Brazilian flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja. The occasion marks the promo’s very first check out to Rio because UFC 283 in January 2023, a night that ended in dissatisfaction with home nation favorites Glover Teixeira and Deiveson Figueiredo both losing their titles. Figueiredo dropped his belt to long time competing Brandon Moreno, who left the arena with a stockpile of upset fans directing their disappointment at him. Erceg is eagerly anticipating that response must he beat Pantoja. “I absolutely anticipate the exact same,” Erceg stated at UFC 301 media day. “To head out there and get a surface would be fantastic and after that yeah, I anticipate bottles to be tossed at me as I leave the arena, however I believe that’s part of the genuine Brazilian experience.” With battle night still days away, Erceg stated that he’s had a fun time in Rio up until now, with fans revealing none of the hostility that he’s expecting this weekend. The soft-spoken Australian has actually endeared himself to fans with a 3-0 mark in the UFC and an amusing battling design that has actually made him 2 Performance of the Night perks. His wacky character has actually likewise gathered some attention. For his face-off with Pantoja today, Erceg appeared using a plain blue t-shirt, looking more like a traveler than a UFC headliner. “It’s not a style contest, so I’m simply here using what I believe is comfy,” Erceg stated of his clothes. “I am a traveler, so I’m over here doing my part to take pleasure in the landscapes along with come here and battle some guy.” Regardless of the strong start to his UFC profession and an 11-fight win streak going back to his days on Australia’s local scene, Erceg has actually often been described as a not likely title battle opposition. His wins over Matt Schnell, Alessandro Costa, and David Dvorak do not leap off the page in regards to name worth, however with Pantoja having actually beat a number of leading 10 challengers numerous times and other flyweight competitors not available, Erceg got the call. Erceg is aware of the situations that led to his title battle chance and he swears not to waste it. “I understand that I wasn’t on the top of everyone’s mind when it concerned a title shot, however the method the department was, Pantoja had actually currently beaten all of the oppositions. Individuals are hurt. The only other guy that actually was in line for the shot was [Muhammad] Mokaev and I was on the very same card as him, I had a more amazing battle than he did and the UFC chose to provide me the shot. “I’m here to be the very best guy on the planet, so whether I’m an underdog, whether I’m the preferred, it does not truly matter to me. I’m going to enter there and I’m going to battle another guy in the cage and whoever’s finest is going to triumph.”
Steve Erceg anticipates ‘bottles to be tossed at me’ following win over Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301
