Former UFC middleweight division champion Israel Adesanya has named the winner of the upcoming fight for the UFC flyweight belt between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg. The fight will take place on the night of May 5 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at UFC 301.
Bloody Elbow quoted Adesanya as saying:
I do want Steve to win because it would be a f**** cool story. He breaks people - and that's hard to do with the guys like Moreno, to break those guys' spirit is a hard thing to do, and he's able to do it through pressure, attacking, and his gas tank. I've seen a lot of Pantoja and I know what he can do - my official pick is Pantoja.
Erceg, 28, last fought at UFC Fight Night 238 in March 2024, defeating Matt Schnell by knockout in the second round. He has 12 wins and one loss on his record.
Pantoja, 33, last stepped into the octagon in December 2023 at UFC 296, defeating Brandon Royval by unanimous decision. He has 27 wins and five losses on his record.
