Brazilian fans warned about upset as Steve Erceg predicted to snatch title away from Alexandre Pantoja in Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian MMA fans have been put on upset alert ahead of UFC 301. Robert Whittaker is backing Australian contender Steve Erceg. He believed Erceg would cause a major shock by taking Alexandre Pantoja’s flyweight title in Rio de Janeiro.

Robert Whittaker is among the high-profile voices predicting an Erceg victory. The New Zealand-born Australian talked about this in his podcast. He sang the praises of his fellow Aussie’s skills, especially his boxing prowess. As such, he expects another Australian to win the UFC gold.

Steve has all the skills necessary to leave Rio as champion. And I don't think it's getting enough noise and hype and attention it deserves. Because Steve's boxing composure, I think, he's levels ahead of his age and tenure in the UFC and in MMA at the moment. I just think he has the skill sets to take that title and to return home and bring another belt back to Australian soil.

Robert Whittaker via MMArcade Podcast

Steve Erceg getting a title shot was a massive surprise to all. But it introduced a fresh face to the title picture. Erceg is coming off a massive knockout win over Matt Schnell. He has just three fights in the UFC, the fourth one being a title shot. Alexandre Pantoja is coming off a decision victory over Brandon Royval at UFC 296.

The oddsmakers didn’t seem to agree with Whittaker’s confident assessment as of now. Pantoja opened as a sizable -280 favorite over the +200 underdog Steve Erceg for their championship clash. The oddsmakers have been wrong about massive upsets before in MMA’s unpredictable world. 

Steve Erceg gives his prediction for Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Steve Erceg prepares for his own massive title fight against Alexandre Pantoja. The Australian contender is weighing in on another huge matchup on the horizon: Khamzat Chimaev vs Robert Whittaker. He gave his predictions on how this epic fight would go.

MMA News interviewed Erceg recently. The UFC’s #10 ranked flyweight gave his thoughts on the blockbuster bout between the unbeaten Chimaev and former middleweight king Whittaker. According to Erceg, the outcome rests largely on which version of “The Reaper” shows up.

I think it definitely depends on what Whittaker shows up. It's the one that shows up for his Costa fight, where he's like back to being tough and game and wanting to scrap, I think he beats Khamzat. I think his wrestling defense will be good enough, I think his striking defense is better than Khamzat's striking defense, and he's gonna hit him, and come later in the round he's gonna take him out.

Steve Erceg via MMA News

Erceg backing Whittaker isn’t exactly a shock. “Astroboy’s” analysis is an intriguing take from someone with an expert’s eye. Moreover, he certainly wouldn’t be the first to doubt Chimaev’s hype after this finalized matchup. Only time will tell if his prediction will be accurate.

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