Pantoja to defend flyweight title at UFC 301 vs. Erceg

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will defend his flyweight title against Steve Erceg on May 4 at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, the promotion announced on Friday.

Pantoja (27-5) is set to make his second title defense. The 33-year-old earned a unanimous decision victory over top-ranked contender Brandon Royval to retain his title at UFC 296 last December. He's currently enjoying a five-fight winning streak that includes victories over Alex Perez and Manel Kape.

The Brazilian fighter captured the gold by narrowly edging out Brandon Moreno in a rematch that resulted in a split-decision win in Pantoja's favor.

Erceg will enter the title fight sporting an impressive 12-1 mark that includes three wins since joining the UFC in 2023. "Astro Boy" scored a second-round KO over Matt Schnell earlier this month. The Australian is the 10th-ranked fighter in the 125-pound division.

"He's a tough opponent," Pantoja said when asked about Erceg, according to MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz. "He's tougher than Royval and Moreno for me, because he comes from down the rankings and he has nothing to lose."

Members of Erceg's team say that the flyweight title matchup is expected to be the main event of the card, but the UFC has not provided any confirmation, per MMA reporter Ariel Helwani.