- Steve Erceg fell short in the fight for the world title against Alexandre Pantoja
- He was knocked down in the final round which could have cost him
- Western Australia loser believes he blew it in final round
Australian flyweight Steve Erceg came very close to surprising the world and winning a UFC title against champion Alexandre Pantoja, and found many new fans in the process.
Pantoja retained control over the flyweight division and his UFC belt 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 Western Australian challenge who had great success in the attacking department.
A brave Erceg stood his ground during the vibrant clash, but Pantoja’s control of the field ultimately proved decisive.
Australian Steve Erceg suffered a unanimous decision loss to UFC flyweight Alexandre Pantoja.
Erceg fought well and many thought he could have come out on top in the final round.
Many fans and experts seemed to think Erceg could have been winning the fight, but the decision to attempt a takedown in the final round left him cruel, with the UFC commentary team describing it as a “big mistake.”
Some current fighters believed Erceg had still done enough, despite the takedown.
“I think 2, 3 and 4 went to the challenger,” posted former champion Jamahal Hill.
“I think Erceg 3-2 is pretty clear,” wrote Joe Giannetti.
‘Erceg can hold his head high and he will be a champion. “He’s going to cause problems for any FlyW top 5,” wrote MMA coach Damien Brown.
The UFC commentator was also a big fan of the Australian underdog and praised him during the broadcast.
“He’s proving he’s elite,” Cormier said.
“He is ranked tenth in the world, but he will face the best fighter in the world and he will do very well against Pantoja.
A bitterly disappointed Erceg regretted the mistakes he made in the final round
“The boy put up a great fight and if he had stayed on his feet, he could have won.”
Speaking after the fight, Erceg knew it was a close call and believes he “blowed it up.”
“I was surprised how well he can wrestle, I usually beat the guys there so it was a shock,” Erceg said.
“I thought the third one was close enough – he knocked me down a couple of times and I hit him on the feet.
“I thought I could get the fifth round… I just blew it.”