“You sound like an idiot!” Trying to imitate Conor McGregor got Steve Erceg in trouble with family

Steve Erceg on showboating and getting scolded by his father as a young fighter in the UFC.

“You sound like an idiot!” Trying to imitate Conor McGregor got Steve Erceg in trouble with family

Steve Erceg tried to act like Conor McGregor in his early UFC career (via Imago/X)

UFC flyweight Steve Erceg got an earful from his father for pretending to be like Conor McGregor during his UFC fights. Erceg is the next flyweight title challenger in the UFC. However, the young fighter struggled a lot in his early UFC days. 

During a recent interview, Steve Erceg talked about how he pretended to be McGregor when he initially came to the UFC. The fighter tried to showboat to get the attention of fans. However, it did not sit well with his father, and he had to abandon that style. 

When I first started, I was the whole- I would watch, not Conor, but those types of people and 'Oh, I gotta be, like, a showboat type of thing.' And so I'm like 'I'm gonna finish him in 30 seconds blah blah blah.' And my dad just come in, 'You sound like an idiot, just stop talking, please.' Oh okay, so maybe I shouldn't act like this, I'll just like me, and like a normal person. 
Steve Erceg via mainevent 
YouTube video

Right now, Steve Erceg is getting ready for the biggest fight of his professional life. Erceg will face the current UFC Flyweight Champion, Alexandre Pantoja, at UFC 301 in a fight for the title. The battle represents a significant jump for Erceg, who is presently ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s men’s Flyweight division.

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Conor McGregor once was that hungry young fighter who came to the UFC and changed the whole game. The fighter brought his cocky personality and trash-talked all his opponents. Fans loved it, resulting in McGregor being the biggest superstar in the history of promotion. Since then, many young fighters have tried to emulate that, including Erceg, with mixed success.

Matheus Nicolau backs Alexandre Pantoja ahead of main event title defense against Steve Erceg

Matheus Nicolau is ready to fight in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 91. The fight will be held just a week before champion Alexandre Pantoja fights Steve Erceg at UFC 301. 

Matheus Nicolau picks Alexandre Pantoja against challenger Steve Erceg
Matheus Nicolau picks Alexandre Pantoja over Steve Erceg (via UFC.com/Sporting News/MMA Fighting)

Ahead of the fight, one of the top contenders, Nicolau, has picked his winner for the showdown. Nicolau praised Erceg but didn’t think the Aussie challenger had what it takes to defeat the current champion. 

Being ranked No. 10 doesn’t mean he’s an easy fight, He’s tough and he’s coming in hungry to give his all and win. He’s dangerous on the feet and in the grappling area, and he’s big for the division. He appears to be strong for the division too, so it’s definitely going to be a big challenge for Pantoja, but I’m hoping that Pantoja wins.
Matheus Nicolau via MMA Fighting

The fighter also mentioned that he was ready to make the weight in case of an emergency. The fighter is ready to jump in as a substitute fighter at UFC 301 if any fighters get injured. The competition between these fighters is one of the major reasons the fans are heavily invested in the rivalry.

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