UFC 301 headliner Steve Erceg had to fight his father in backyard before getting permission to train professionally

Steve Erceg reveals the weird initiation he had to undergo with his dad when he asked permission to become a professional fighter.

UFC 301 headliner Steve Erceg had to fight his father in backyard before getting permission to train professionally

Steve Erceg talks about fighting his father before being allowed to train (via Sporting News)

The origin stories of UFC fighters are different and varied. Some were pushed into it by circumstances, whereas, others wanted to pursue this career choice of their own volition. However, UFC 301 flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg has a different story. His path to professional fighting began with a backyard battle against his own father. 

In a hilarious anecdote, the 27-year-old Australian revealed how his dad put him through an unconventional test before allowing him to pursue MMA. This started when a teenage Steve Erceg expressed his desire to start training. However, his father had reservations and laid out a challenge to the UFC flyweight title contender. 

I had to talk to my dad first, and his reaction was 'I don't think you're tough enough to start fighting.' So he said we will go out in the backyard and have a fight and see what happens there. So me and my dad had a little scrap in the backyard and at the end of it he came away going 'Yep, you can have your first fight.'
Steve Erceg via UFC 301 Countdown
YouTube video

The young Erceg passed the test with flying colors. From those humble backyard beginnings, “Astro Boy” embarked on an unlikely journey that has him competing for UFC gold. He will take on the reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja in Brazil. Erceg hopes to author one of the fastest title reigns in UFC history with an underdog victory.

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Erceg seemed confident in his skills as a fighter. He recently pointed out some holes in Pantoja’s game and would try to exploit them. If Erceg does win, this would be one of the greatest upsets in the history of UFC. He may need ample security personnel to exit the arena with his newly-won belt given the hostile fighting territory.

Steve Erceg revealed eating KFC when the call for the title shot came

Opportunity knocks on the door when someone least expects it. When opportunity knocks, sometimes you’ve got to answer the door with a mouthful of crispy fried chicken. For UFC flyweight Steve Erceg, that was literally the case when he received the biggest fight call of his life.

Steve Erceg was eating KFC when the call for UFC 301 came
Steve Erceg was eating KFC when the call for UFC 301 came (via Fox Sports)

Erceg revealed in a recent interview that he was casually devouring a KFC meal when his manager rang him. He received the news that he’d been tapped to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight title at UFC 301 in Brazil.

So, I was at the kitchen table eating KFC when I got the call, enjoying my break. And then yeah, my reaction was sort of laugh… Dad sort of predicted the fact that he thought I might get the call, and I called him an idiot. So, I thought I probably owed him an apology.
Steve Erceg via Submission Radio

Erceg revealed that he was in a dilemma after the call and this was not related to the fight. The Aussie fighter stated that he was contemplating whether he should finish his 3 piece of fried chicken or just throw it away. In the end, after much thought, the Australian fighter deemed it better to finish the chicken. This probably was his last KFC till now as he gears up to compete for the biggest opportunity of his life.

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