SUMMARY
- Alexandre Pantoja is set to fight Steve Erceg at UFC 301.
- Amid criticism about the contest, Pantoja has the perfect example to justify the main event fight.
UFC 300 was one of the best PPVs that the company had put together. Even before the fans can recover from the hangover of such an amazing event, the company is already back with another PPV. UFC 301 is set to take place on May 4 inside the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hence, it’s only fitting that a Brazilian champion, Alexandre Pantoja, is headlining the event.
Pantoja won the flyweight title at UFC 290 against Mexican superstar, Brandon Moreno. He then defended the title against Brandon Royval at UFC 296. Now, he is set to defend the 125lbs title for the second time against Australian fighter, Steve Erceg in the main event of UFC 301. Erceg is an extremely capable fighter on the ground and has the ability to hang around with Pantoja. So fans can expect a great bout on May 4.
However, there is one question from the fans that has been making the rounds. There are other fighters like Tim Elliott, Muhammad Mokaev, and the aforementioned Brandon Moreno. So, why did Pantoja make the decision to fight the 28-year-old from the land down under? Although he previously defended the fight, in the Countdown video for UFC 301, Alexandre cited Sylvester Stallone and the late Carl Weathers‘ iconic movie “Rocky” to explain his decision.
Alexandre Pantoja calls himself Apollo Creed ahead of UFC 301 bout against Steve Erceg
Alexandre Pantoja brought up the iconic 1976 boxing movie “Rocky” during the UFC 301 countdown video. The 34-year-old said, “I already beat all the division and right now I’m gonna do like Apollo Creed do it for Rocky Balboa. I’m gonna give the chance to fight for the world title (to Steve Erceg).”
It is certainly a commendable decision from the reigning flyweight champion. Even Dustin Poirier had the same mentality behind giving a chance to Benoit Saint-Denis. The two faced off at UFC 299 where Poirier emerged victorious via a KO. However, it was a risky move for Poirier. But “The Diamond” did not care and wanted to give young fighters a chance to climb the rankings. It seems like “The Cannibal” also shares the same mindset.
However, Steve Erceg knows his movies and came back with a strong reply. The Aussie said in the Countdown video, “I don’t know if you watch the movies, but Apollo Creed loses.”
Pantoja would certainly hope that their fight does not imitate the movies where Rocky eventually surpasses Apollo Creed. However, fans have seen some huge upsets inside the Octagon over the years, and counting out anybody is not the best idea, especially in the title fight.
Steve Erceg will look to do the unthinkable at UFC 301
Steve Erceg made his MMA debut in February 2016. After 10 fights in regional circuits, he came into the UFC and had his first fight inside the Octagon at UFC 289 in June 2023. He defeated David Dvorak in his first fight via unanimous decision. After that, he defeated Alessandro Costa and Matt Schnell back to back. He currently occupies the 10th ranking at flyweight.
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Hence, there is a chance for Erceg to win the UFC title within a year of his debut in the promotion. Rampage Jackson the UFC light-heavyweight title within four months at UFC 71 against Chuck Liddell. Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia won the title at UFC 39 five months after his debut. The only other fighter to have a UFC title within the year is Anderson Silva who got the middleweight strap at UFC 64 four months after his debut.
However, the fighters mentioned above accomplished the feat over a decade ago. So “Astroboy” has the chance to be the first modern to join the rare club. Can Steve Erceg join the elite list at UFC 301? Fans will find out the answer at the upcoming PPV on May 4. Do you think he has a chance to dethrone Pantoja? Let us know in the comments below.
