Aussie underdog Steve Erceg goes agonisingly close to UFC title – but makes fatal mistake in final round
- Steve Erceg fell short in his world title bid against Alexandre Pantoja
- Went for a takedown in the last round, which may have cost him a lot of money
- The West Aussie underdog thinks he blew it in the final round
Australian flyweight Steve Erceg has come very close to stunning the world and winning a UFC title against champion Alexandre Pantoja – and finding many new fans in the process.
Pantoja retained control of the flyweight division and his UFC title by securing a unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring the fight 48-47, 48-47, 49-46.
But Pantoja had to dig deep and fend off a tough challenge from the Western Australian, who was having serious success in the striking department.
A brave Erceg more than held his own during the pulsating back-and-forth confrontation, but Pantoja’s control on the ground ultimately proved decisive.
Aussie Steve Erceg suffered a unanimous decision loss to UFC flyweight Alexandre Pantoja
Erceg fought well and many thought he might have been on top in the final round
Many fans and pundits seemed to think Erceg might have won the fight, but a decision to attempt a takedown in the final round cruelled him, with the UFC commentary team describing it as a ‘big mistake’.
Some current fighters felt that Erceg had still done enough despite the elimination.
“I think 2,3 and 4 went to the challenger,” former champion Jamahal Hill posted.
“3-2 Erceg is pretty clear, I think,” wrote Joe Giannetti.
‘Erceg can keep his chin high, he will be a champion. It’s going to cause problems for every top 5 FlyW,” wrote MMA coach Damien Brown.
UFC commentator was also a big fan of the Australian underdog and praised him during the broadcast.
“He’s showing that he’s one of the elite,” Cormier said.
“He’s ranked 10th in the world, but he’s up against the best fighter in the world and he’s doing really well against Pantoja.
A bitterly disappointed Erceg regretted the mistakes he made on the final lap
“The boy put up a great fight and if he had stayed standing he might have won.”
After the fight, Erceg knew he had come close and believes he “screwed it.”
“I was surprised how well he can scramble, I usually beat guys there so it was a bit of a shock,” Erceg said.
“I thought the third was close enough; he put me down a few times and I hit him on his feet.
“I thought I could make it to the fifth round… I just blew it.”