Some said Steve Erceg wasn't ready for the UFC 301 headliner, but he pushed champion Alexandre Pantoja to the limit in Rio de Janeiro.
Alexandre Pantoja retained the UFC flyweight title Saturday in his native Rio de Janeiro, but it wasn’t without some pushback.
In the UFC 301 main event at Farmasi Arna, Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) crept by Steve Erceg (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) to earn a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) nod.
The battle was closely contested with multiple rounds up for debate. While Pantoja started strong, Erceg gained momentum in the second round as his boxing he came to life.
In Round 3, Erceg sliced Pantoja open badly, a cut that caused blood to squirt all over the canvas as the champion controlled the challenger on the mat. Pantoja showed off a well-rounded attack, as he mixed his striking and strong grappling from bell to bell to bell.
Round 4 arguably was Erceg’s strongest as his striking further came to life and his strong cardio showed. Pantoja combatted the challenger’s efforts with wits, pacing, and adaptiveness as he eked out the final round – and the decision.
THE UNDISPUTED FLYWEIGHT CHAMP
@PantojaMMA | #UFC301 pic.twitter.com/Qupy4jM2LT
— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2024
With the victory, Pantoja successfully defends his title for the second time. He first won the title by split decision against Brandon Moreno in July, then defended it against Brandon Royval in December. Pantoja extends his winning streak to six.
Erceg’s title challenge came in just his fourth promotional fight. The title fight booking was a surprise to many, who expected Erceg to need at least another fight or two before he competed for gold. Even in defeat, however, Erceg proved himself challenger status-worthy through his performance.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 301 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.
