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“I conscionable blew it.”
A dejected Steve Erceg enactment up rather the combat against flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja but was near to ponder what could person been aft a captious mistake successful the 5th circular of the UFC 301 main lawsuit arsenic helium suffered a unanimous determination (48-47 x2, 49-46) defeat.
Erceg, who was looking to daze the satellite successful what was conscionable his 4th UFC combat aft a accelerated emergence successful the 125-pound divison, recovered occurrence with slicing elbows and his wide striking crippled passim the bout.
UFC 301: PANTOJA VS ERCEG | SUN 5 MAY 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event connected Kayo Sports. Main Event connected Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the caller exclusive location of UFC Pay-Per-View.
However, some Erceg and Pantoja’s corners seemed successful statement that the champion had won each of the archetypal 3 rounds contempt the UFC commentary squad suggesting otherwise.
Both Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder believed the combat was acold person than the corners were making it seem, and disquieted it whitethorn power Erceg to spell distant from what was moving for him.
That happened connected a fewer occasions successful the combat arsenic Erceg successfully took Pantoja down successful the 5th circular but stayed connected the crushed excessively long, with Cormier describing it arsenic a “big mistake”.
Then successful the 5th again, having looked likeliest to origin harm connected his feet arsenic Erceg landed different cleanable elbow, the Australian followed it up by shooting for different takedown.
This clip though helium was reversed and from determination Pantoja controlled the combat until the precise end.
“That is wherever the inexperience comes into play, due to the fact that portion helium whitethorn person elite skills helium has not done it agelong capable astatine this level to cognize that is simply a mistake,” Cormier said.
Both Cormier and Felder were afloat of praise for Erceg, who they said proved himself “absolutely elite” by taking his acold much experienced hostile the distance.
But Erceg looked visibly frustrated with himself aft the fight, telling Cormier helium was “surprised” with however good Pantoja scrambled.
“I usually bushed guys determination truthful that was a shock,” helium said.
Erceg said helium thought the 3rd circular was “close enough” and that if helium had won the past circular helium would person fixed himself a “chance” of having his manus raised.
But alternatively that captious mistake successful shooting for the takedown proved his undoing.
“I conscionable blew it,” the Australian conceded.
“If helium had stayed standing, I judge helium would person won the 5th round,” added Cormier.
It volition beryllium a learning acquisition for Erceg though, who was the underdog entering the UFC 301 main lawsuit with victories implicit Matt Schnell, Alessandro Costa and David Dvořák.
Overall, Erceg was connected an 11-fight triumph streak successful his nonrecreational MMA career, yet this was expected to beryllium excessively overmuch of a measurement up successful people against Pantoja, who has 3 victories implicit erstwhile two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno.
“It’s hard to spot Steve realise that close past and determination and we benignant of said it connected the broadcast but similar DC told him, thing to bent your caput on,” Felder said.
“You fought a large champion and you showed wherefore you belonged determination and you volition be, I believe, backmost determination successful that nonstop aforesaid spot.”
Re-live each the enactment from the combat successful our live, round-by-round blog below!
UFC 301 FULL CARD
Main Card
Alexandre Pantoja (c) def. Steve Erceg via UD (48-47 x2, 49-46) — for the UFC flyweight title
Jose Aldo def. Jonathan Martinez via UD (30-27 x3) — Bantamweights
Anthony Smith def. Vitor Petrino via submission, Round 1 — Light Heavyweights
Michel Pereira def. Ihor Potieria via submission, Round 1 — Middleweights
Caio Borralho def. Paul Craig via KO, Round 2 — Middleweights
Prelims
Joanderson Brito def. Jack Shore via TKO, Round 2 — Featherweights
Iasmin Lucindo def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via UD (30-27 x3) — Strawweights
Myktybek Orolbai def. Elves Brener via UD (29-27 x3) — Lightweights
Drakkar Klose def. Joaquim Silva via UD (29-28 x3) — Lightweights
Early Prelims
Mauricio Ruffy def. Jamie Mullarkey via TKO, Round 1 — Lightweights
Dione Barbosa def. Ernesta Kareckaite via UD (29-28 x3) — Flyweights
Ismael Bonfim def. Vinc Pichel via UD (30-27 x3) — Lightweights
Alessandro Costa def. Kevin Borjas via TKO, Round 2 — Flyweights
EARLIER:
AUSSIE ON WRONG END OF NEW UFC HYPE MACHINE
Earlier, Australian underdog Jamie Mullarkey was stopped successful the archetypal circular of his combat against Mauricio Ruffy.
Ruffy, who had a 9-1 nonrecreational MMA grounds entering Sunday, was making his UFC debut aft a 3rd circular stoppage of Raimond Magomedaliev successful the Dana White Contenders Series.
With 9 wins by knockout, Ruffy made an contiguous connection successful his archetypal combat for the promotion arsenic UFC expert Din Thomas said successful commentary that helium reminded him of a “young Conor McGregor”.
Ruffy showed a spot of everything successful the win, tripping Mullarkey up with a flying scissor expanse earlier startling the Australian with a brace of beardown close hands adjacent the extremity of the round.
At that constituent it was a substance of erstwhile and not if Ruffy would halt him, with a flying genu and bid of punches forcing the referee to measurement successful and telephone an extremity to the combat with 18 seconds near successful the round.
“Oh my goodness... a flawless victory,” Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier said successful commentary.
“I deliberation the combat was aft agelong earlier it was stopped but Mullarkey was doing capable to enactment successful the fight,” added Paul Felder.
“Ultimately it starts to deterioration connected him mode excessively much. [Ruffy] stays composed though, knows Mullarkey is going to panic onslaught backmost and conscionable isn’t determination for immoderate of the instrumentality shots. Unbelievable.”
It whitethorn person been his UFC debut but Ruffy past confidently called retired lightweight champion Islam Makhachev successful his post-fight interrogation with Cormier.
“I cognize you’re upset due to the fact that I bushed your friend,” Ruffy said.
“Enjoy your days astatine the apical due to the fact that a caller king is coming.”
WAS THAT ILLEGAL? UFC MADMAN’S WILD FINISH
Elsewhere, determination was immoderate contention arsenic Michel Pereira made casual enactment of Ihor Potieria to assertion a stunning submission successful the opening round.
It was the 14th first-round decorativeness of Pereira’s career, with the Brazilian dropping his rival with a one-two and past landing a spectacular but apt amerciable genu to a grounded opponent’s caput disconnected a backflip.
Pereira past got the lasting guillotine locked successful and secured the tap, though helium was possibly fortunate to not person the combat ruled a no-contest instead.
“I inactive deliberation he’s got to larn his acquisition from doing backflips and landing amerciable knees,” Felder said.
“But a batch of it did onshore connected the chest... and I deliberation that’s what stopped him from perchance getting DQed.”
BLOODY BATTLE LEAVES SHORE’S LEG BATTERED
Elsewhere, Joanderson Brito perfectly destroyed Jack Shore’s limb connected the mode to a bloody triumph connected the preliminary card.
Brito conscionable consistently fired distant with kicks passim the fight, opening up a gnarly gash connected Shore’s intelligibly compromised leg.
Shore bravely soldiered done but yet was ruled incapable to proceed successful the 2nd circular aft an appraisal by the ringside physician, who believed the 29-year-old whitethorn person breached his leg.
Originally published arsenic ‘I blew it’: Steve Erceg’s admittance aft satellite rubric heartbreak
English (US) ·