Athletes
Steve Erceg: ‘I Belong On This Level’
Australia’s Steve Erceg Knows He Is One Of The Best Flyweights In The World And Is Excited To Face A Certified Great In Mexico City
Steve Erceg experienced a lifetime of moments in his first 14 months on the roster.
He opened his UFC account with a win over a Top 15 opponent in David Dvorak, earning a Performance Bonus along the way. After picking up two more wins and another bonus, he found himself not just in the flyweight title picture, but across from the champ himself just 11 months after making his debut. He wasn’t able to best Alexandre Pantoja in Brazil, but many felt the fight was in the balance heading into the final round. And while his dream of winning the title didn’t come to fruition, he made another dream come true when he fought Kai Kara-France in his hometown of Perth at UFC 305.
Although Erceg ended up on the wrong side of a finish, he looks back on his five-fight run in the promotion and sees more positives than anything else as he looks to right the ship against former champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City on March 29.
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“It’s been a wild ride,” Erceg told UFC.com. “I've got to fight all the best guys very quickly and, honestly, I wouldn't change it. All I want to do is fight the toughest guys. And I feel like even though I've had some losses now, it's character building, and you learn a lot, and I'm going to be a better fighter and a better person for the experiences I've had.”
Despite coming off back-to-back losses, Erceg hasn’t once looked outclassed or out of his depth.
For the 29-year-old, that is as good a sign as any. He mentions the small details as the difference makers when it comes to fighting the best people in the world, and learning that lesson a year into his time in the promotion, as opposed to down the road, is crucial in his mind.
“The fact that I'm getting exposed to the level of athlete I'm getting exposed to definitely makes you become better faster,” he said. “So I just think, ‘Man, if I got here at 21, how good I'd be by now?’
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“I'm hanging with the best guys in the world. I belong on this level, which gives you a lot of confidence.”
As one would expect after a title fight, Erceg took a lot away from the experience. The onslaught of media attention aside—he still says he is surprised people want to talk to him—the preparation for a five-round title fight against one of the great champions of the division is stressful enough.
Erceg felt like he was pressing throughout camp and getting upset with himself if he wasn’t perfect throughout training. His team brought that to his attention, and his outlook is a much more relaxed, and therefore much more enjoyable, and productive time.
“I was very grumpy for a lot of that camp,” Erceg said. “So, now, (I’m) just trying to be happy and enjoy the camp. Not necessarily like, ‘Oh, I have to be perfect right now all the time. This is unacceptable.’ Things are going to go wrong. You're trying to get better, you're going to enjoy it a lot more and you honestly perform better if you're enjoying yourself.”
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When Erceg got the call to face Moreno in Mexico City, he described himself as “uncharacteristically excited,” although he couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. Part of it is facing “The Assassin Baby,” who more or less carried the flyweight division’s title picture on his shoulders, along with Deiveson Figueiredo, for the better part of three years.
Another part of the eagerness was fighting Moreno in Mexico. Having done the whole “enemy territory” thing against Pantoja already, Erceg knows, for all of the crowd’s best efforts, all that matters is the man standing across from him.
“Honestly, once the fight started, it didn't feel like I was against anybody except for Pantoja,” he said. “This is going to be the same thing. We're on neutral territory once we're in the cage. We’ll swing it out.”
Erceg isn’t quite sure how the fight is going to play out stylistically, mentioning Moreno’s improved boxing in the former champion’s last fight against Amir Albazi.
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However, despite Moreno’s fight-to-fight shapeshifting, he feels confident he can beat him in any type of fight on the night. He acknowledges he doesn’t really know where a win puts him in the title picture with Kara-France, Manel Kape and Brandon Royval in the mix, as well, but a win is always a good thing in terms of chasing the title, especially over arguably the biggest name in the division.
After the Pantoja fight, Erceg said he envisioned himself smoking a celebratory cigar with the belt, referencing pictures he’d seen of great athletes like Michael Jordan. He also promised himself he wouldn’t drink until he got gold around his waist, which is admirable except for the fact that he is getting married at the end of this year, and his fiancée, Kaetlyn, has pressed him about whether he’ll keep to that when they tie the knot.
Such is life as a fighter, though. And Erceg’s life has been a wild one for the last 21 months. His idols became peers and rivals quickly, but he knows the moment isn’t too big for him. When he walks to the Octagon, he won’t be thinking about the crowd or the fact that he is facing The Brandon Moreno. It’s just another face, another good fighter, and another man he knows he can beat.
“I'm competitive enough that all that stuff goes out the window like, ‘Hey, none of that. It's my turn,’” he said. “I won't have to think, ‘Oh, no, that's Brandon,’ right?
“It will just be, ‘I'm going to win this fight and stop me if you can.’”
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Erceg took place live from Arena CDMX in Mexico City on March 29, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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