- Steve Erceg has the chance to become Australia’s third UFC champion
- Will beat Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja in Rio de Janeiro
- Erceg said that ‘people will kill me’ if he beats the hometown hero
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Australian UFC star Steve Erceg will soon become public enemy number one in Brazil after his fight against flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja was confirmed for UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro on May 5.
Pantoja, 33, is being dubbed ‘The Cannibal’ – and he will be out for blood at home in front of his adoring fans.
Erceg is quickly developing his own fearsome reputation in the Octagon – and the man they call ‘Astro Boy’ – who is also a dead ringer for The Office’s Michael Scott in the eyes of some fans – will relish the underdog tag.
If he orchestrates a boilover in Rio de Janeiro, Erceg – who has tasted defeat just once in 13 MMA fights – will become Australia’s third UFC champion after Robert Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski.
The Perth-born star, who is currently number 10 in the flyweight division, is well aware of the fierce reception that awaits in South America.
Australian UFC star Steve Erceg (pictured left) will soon be public enemy number one in Brazil after his fight against Alexandre Pantoja was confirmed for UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro on May 5
Pantoja, 33, is being dubbed ‘The Cannibal’ – and he’ll be out for blood at home in front of his adoring fans
Steve Erceg is a dead ringer for Michael Scott from The Office in the eyes of some UFC fans (actor Steve Carell is pictured)
“People want to kill me…..that’s how it’s going to go,” he shared Fox Sports.
‘I’m coming to beat the champion in his hometown…..the crowd will tell me I’m going to die.
‘Same as afterwards, when I have that belt, security will have to take me away because they (the crowd) will throw bottles at me.
“I’ll have to get on a plane and get out of there fast.”
And in typical Aussie fashion, Erceg revealed he was tucking into some KFC – a three-piece box and a popcorn chicken – when the match ended earlier this week.
Erceg is 3-0 in his UFC career since making his debut last June, impressively defeating David Dvorak, Alessandro Costa and Matt Schnell over the past nine months.
His last fight was a one-punch knockout of American star Schnell in Las Vegas.
Pantoja has won his last five fights, with his last defeat coming against Askar Askarov in July 2020.