Athletes
Main Event Spotlight | UFC 301: Pantoja vs Erceg
We Break Down Some Key Stats For Saturday’s Flyweight Title Fight In Rio de Janeiro
The flyweight title is on the line in Brazil as UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja faces surging contender Steve Erceg. It will be Pantoja’s first time fighting under the UFC banner in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro and an opportunity for his second title defense. Erceg is 3-0 in the UFC, and although it’s been a fast track to a title shot, the Perth product feels primed to claim UFC gold.
Prepare for UFC 301 by getting a stat-based preview of the matchup.
Alexandre Pantoja
It took thirteen UFC fights for “The Cannibal” to get a shot at the UFC flyweight title, and he took advantage of the moment. Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno in one of the top fights of 2023 to take home the belt, and he has since defended his title against Brandon Royval at UFC 296. The win over Royval put Pantoja on a five-fight winning streak heading into UFC 301.
Order UFC 301: Pantoja vs Erceg
A win over Erceg at UFC 301 could help cement Pantoja’s legacy as one of the best flyweights we’ve seen in the Octagon.
Alexandre Pantoja Still Hunting | UFC 301
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Alexandre Pantoja Still Hunting | UFC 301
/
He already has the third most wins in UFC flyweight history (11), he’s tied for the third most bonuses in UFC flyweight history (5), tied for the third most finishes in flyweight history (6), and is tied for the second most submission wins in flyweight history (4). Adding any sort of exciting win would move Pantoja up a majority of these lists while, more importantly, keeping the UFC belt wrapped around his waist.
How To Watch UFC 301: Pantoja vs Erceg In Your Country
One of the reasons that Pantoja has reached the top of the 125-pound division is how well-rounded the 34-year-old is. His striking accuracy is 49.4%, which is more than 7% higher than the UFC average and his takedown accuracy is at 48.1% which is above the UFC average of 45%.
Pantoja doesn’t need to rely on one specific facet of his game to win, he just feels out his opponent and decides what is the best path to victory.
Steve Erceg
With just three fights in the Octagon, there is still plenty to learn about “Astroboy,” but you can bet that we are going to learn plenty when we see him versus Pantoja.
One thing we did see from Erceg in his fights is his ability to flow wherever the fight takes him. Against David Dvorak, Allesandro Costa, and Matt Schnell,he took his time and worked until he found a chink in his opponent’s armor. The Schnell knockout was particularly impressive as he shut the lights out on one of the toughest guys in the division.
MORE UFC 301: Get To Know The Challenger | Fight By Fight Preview
Much like the champ, Erceg boasts a very complete skill set. The 28-year-old is efficient and active on his feet, landing 4.57 strikes per minute, which is well above the UFC average of 2.5 strikes landed per minute. He also has excellent takedown defense, preventing 77.8% of all takedown attempts from succeeding. For reference, the UFC takedown defense average is just 55%, proving that Erceg isn’t going to be a piece of cake for Pantoja to get to the canvas.
Meeting In The Middle
The champion giving a title shot to Erceg shows just how badly and how badass Pantoja is. He wanted to fight in Rio and he wasn’t going to miss it no matter what, so bring on whoever is available. It also shows how game Erceg is and how highly the UFC thinks of him, even though he’s only had three fights in the big show.
A key thing in the Pantoja-Erceg matchup will be what happens when the fight gets gritty. Pantoja has been in some serious battles and has shown he can keep up the pace over the course of 25 minutes. We haven’t seen Erceg in a five-round fight yet, so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the change, especially with Pantoja applying the pressure.
Both fighters can do it all, so whatever fighter can force more mistakes out of their opponent will likely leave Brazil as the champion
UFC 301: Pantoja vs Erceg took place live from Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 4, 2024. See the Final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
