Alexander Volkanovski gives tips to Aussie contender facing WRATH of Brazilians at UFC 301

Australian UFC flyweight Steve Erceg has reached the final stages of preparation for his title fight. He received some valuable advice from compatriot Alexander Volkanovski. Erceg will challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight belt at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro. This means that Erceg will also face a very pro-Pantoja Brazilian crowd.

In a video posted by UFC Australia and New Zealand, Volkanovski asked Erceg about fighting in Rio. Erceg said he expected the worst things possible from the Brazilian crowd. One must note that the Brazilian crowd has a very bad reputation. That’s when Alexander Volkanovski shared some been-there, done-that wisdom.

Ah mate, like soak it up, you know what I mean?… You already know what to expect, it’s like ‘Ah cool,’ just use that. Got bigger things to worry about than people booing. Who cares, you know what I mean?… You’ve got a job to do anyway, that’s all you focus on.

Alexander Volkanovski via UFC-AUSNZ on X

It’s advice the former champ knows well from his battles in hostile territory. Volk defeated Brazil’s Jose Aldo in Rio in 2019. The crowd was firmly behind their hero, Aldo, that night. Volkanovski looked unbothered by the crowd and mastered the art of tuning out the haters. Now, he passed those lessons to the up-and-coming underdog Erceg.

Erceg is a surprising title challenger at #10 in the flyweight rankings. But that’s exactly why champ Pantoja wanted to face the “fresh” newcomer. He has already beaten most of the other top contenders in the division, some even multiple times. Erceg brings about a different style in a somewhat stagnant flyweight pool.

Steve Erceg details his game plan for UFC 301

Underdogs often defy the odds in the world of MMA. Steve Erceg, the no.10 ranked flyweight contender, plans to do just that. He’ll challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight title at UFC 301 in Pantoja’s home country of Brazil. Despite being a massive underdog, Erceg is confident in his strategy to pull off the upset.

Steve Erceg was recently interviewed in a recent UFC Fight Camp episode with Phil Murphy and Megan Anderson. He unveiled his not-so-unorthodox game plan. Basically, he wanted to hit Pantoja while not getting hit himself. Erceg respected Pantoja’s ground game and expressed caution on grappling with the champion.

My plan mainly is just to punch him in the face and not get hit. He’s going to again obviously come reckless. I’m going to try to stay on the outside. It’s like death by a thousand cuts, I guess. If I try to go in there and hit him really hard or I’ll give him the chance to get in there and grapple with me and get into the mid-range, where he’ll have an advantage… But if I just keep nice and technical, nice and long – it’ll frustrate him, make it hard for him.

Steve Erceg via UFC Fight Camp

The knockouts on Erceg’s record suggest he’s not a normal challenger. With the fight in hostile territory, Erceg aims to spoil Pantoja’s homecoming. Yet, win or lose, the Australian’s future looks bright. UFC 305 heads to his home country of Australia in August. Maybe Erceg could feature as a champion at the event if all went well against Alexandre Pantoja.

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