There’s a strong chance that fight fans aren’t so well-accustomed to the dangers that Australia’s Steve Erceg poses in the Octagon.
The 27-year-old, 12-1 in his professional career, has made a big impact in his brief, three-fight UFC career to date — so much so, that he has been fast-tracked into a world title clash with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in this weekend’s UFC 301 main event from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
And watching him, it is easy to justify the faith that the organisation’s matchmakers have put in him. After scoring unanimous decision wins against David Dvorak and Alessandro Costa in his first two UFC assignments, Erceg earned his title opportunity on the back of a sensation one-punch knockout of American veteran Matt Schnell in early March — sending him cascading to the canvas after landing a short left-hook in the opening seconds of the second round in the UFC’s Apex facility outside of Las Vegas.
It was just the second KO finish on Erceg’s fight ledger, but his six submissions wins suggest he may also have a route to victory in that facet of the sport against Pantoja — a fight renowned for his own grappling skills.
Check out Erceg’s vicious finish of Schnell in the video below:
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