Alexandre Pantoja vs Steve Erceg Full Fight – UFC 301

The flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg took place on May 4, 2024, as the main event of UFC 301. Champion Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his title on his home turf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, defeating Erceg via unanimous decision (48–47, 48–47, 49–46) after a highly competitive five-round war.

• Early Aggression: Pantoja pushed an intense pace from the opening bell, using relentless forward pressure and mixing up heavy striking with rapid body-lock takedowns to test the challenger early.

• The Contender Strikes Back: Erceg weathered the initial storm and found great success in the middle rounds. He utilized crisp, technical boxing combinations and landed slicing elbows in close range that opened a massive cut on Pantoja’s head. 
• The Turning Point: Heading into the fifth and final round, the scorecards were razor-thin, with many observers having the fight tied at two rounds apiece. Erceg made a critical tactical error by initiating a grapple, allowing Pantoja to use his elite grappling to reverse the position, take Erceg’s back, and rack up crucial ground control time to seal the victory.