Steve Carell’s MMA Lookalike Steve Erceg Drops ‘Nice Guy’ Attitude After UFC Perth Victory

Steve Erceg, the MMA lookalike of Steve Carell per MMA fans has adopted a new attitude following his win at UFC Perth over Tim Elliott.

Steve Carell’s MMA Lookalike Steve Erceg Drops ‘Nice Guy’ Attitude After UFC Perth Victory

Steve Erceg drops his nice guy attitude at UFC Perth [UFC.com]

In Short
  • Steve Erceg secured a unanimous decision victory over Tim Elliott at UFC Perth, showcasing improved striking.
  • Erceg displayed a shift in attitude post-fight, moving away from his "nice guy" persona to express confidence and excitement.
  • The win marks a two-fight winning streak for Erceg, who aims to return to the top 10 in the flyweight division.

Perth native Steve Erceg was able to pick up a victory in front of his home fans at UFC Perth. He defeated former flyweight title contender Tim Elliott via unanimous decision, handily outstriking the veteran flyweight. Following his win, Erceg seemed to have an edge about him that he hadn’t displayed previously in his UFC career.

‘Astroboy’ has rebounded with a 2-fight winning streak after going on a losing run. He had a clean performance against Elliot tonight, outstriking his American counterpart, 136 to 90, with a 3:1 disparity in strikes landed to the head.

After his win, during the octagon interview with Michael Bisping, Erceg seemed to drop his “nice guy” persona. He had an air of irreverence about him as he expressed what this win meant to him in front of his home fans.

F—–g Australia is the [expletive]. I don’t usually swear but we’re the bee’s knees. We got two more Perth boys coming up, we’re going 3-0 tonight, let’s go!

Steve Erceg at UFC Perth

Sadly for Erceg, his wish for the Perth boys did not come true by the end of the event. Jack Della Maddalena ended up getting knocked out by Carlos Prates in the main event. However, Quillan Salkilld did win his fight against Beneil Dariush, knocking him out in the first round.

This fight could be the way back into the top 10 for the former title contender. Despite rebounding against Ode Osbourne, Erceg has dropped to No. 12 in the flyweight division. His place in the flyweight division is very different now compared to 2024, when he challenged for the title against Alexandre Pantoja.

Ahead of the fight in Perth, Erceg had revealed that he was out for redemption in front of his fans. To that end, he spoke about how this win put his mind at rest.

Steve Erceg wanted to be more well-rounded at UFC Perth

Heading into this fight, Steve Erceg had spoken to UFC.com about how he wanted his fighting style to be more well-rounded. Tim Elliott, with his unconventional footwork and solid grappling, was the perfect opponent for that. ‘Astroboy’ also acknowledged this aspect of Elliott’s game.

Steve Erceg
Steve Erceg wins big at UFC Perth [Via UFC.com]

The man UFC fans have anointed as the MMA version of Steve Carell said he knew the American would make it “ugly.” He alluded to it during his post-fight press conference as well, calling it a battle of “ugly versus pretty.” Erceg also laid out the tendencies that had gotten him in trouble earlier.

I think I’ve been too focused on, ‘I need to improve my striking,’ or, ‘This guy does this well,’ and all that sort of stuff.

Steve Erceg via UFC.com

Now, after the events of the fight, it’s evident that Erceg fulfilled his aspirations to improve, especially in the areas he highlighted. Erceg looked much sharper, calmer, and more focused against Elliott tonight. That is a tough ask in front of one’s home fans, especially when he’s more famous in Mexico.

But later at the post-fight press conference, he reflected on how the fight went down. The Australian revealed that he didn’t end up minding a “dirty” fight, reiterating what he said in his octagon interview.

I felt like I wasn’t overreaching. I wasn’t panicking when he was throwing. It felt like a fight. Like, he was doing like little dirty stuff and then he was talking to me, and it was just fun. It was just fun to be in a fight

Steve Erceg at the post-fight press conference

All in all, Erceg fought a great fight at UFC Perth. But the most telling improvement seemed mental as he seemed unfazed by the fight Elliott brought. ‘AstroBoy’ seems to have changed his outlook towards how he approaches fights, and it’s gotten him results this time.

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