# Steve Erceg
**Steve Erceg** (born 1995) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division of the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) (UFC), where he is nicknamed "Astroboy" and has challenged for the UFC flyweight title.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Steve-Erceg-228813) • [2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg) Fighting out of Perth, Western Australia, he holds a professional record of 14 wins and 5 losses and is currently ranked #12 in the UFC flyweight division.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995; Perth, Western Australia[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Steve-Erceg-228813) |
| Division / team | Flyweight (125 lb); Wilkes Martial Arts[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Steve-Erceg-228813) |
| Professional record | 14-5-0: 2 wins by KO/TKO, 6 by submission, 6 by decision[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) |
| UFC debut | June 10, 2023, UFC 289, short-notice unanimous decision win over David Dvořák[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/5/4/24146552/ufc-301-paths-to-victory-how-steve-erceg-can-upset-alexandre-pantoja) |
| Title fight | Lost a five-round unanimous decision to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301, May 4, 2024[5](https://www.ufcespanol.com/athlete/steve-erceg) |
| UFC ranking | #12 flyweight currently; peak #7[2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg) |
| Physical | 5'8" (173 cm), 125 lb (57 kg), 68" (173 cm) reach[2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg) |
| Bonuses | 2 UFC post-fight bonuses, both Performance of the Night[2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg) |
## Early career
Erceg began his professional career in February 2016 with a second-round guillotine choke win over Ryan Robertson, and competed on the Australian regional circuit, including Hex Fight Series and Eternal MMA.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) His early record was decision-heavy, but he built a finishing repertoire of rear-naked chokes, guillotines, and an arm triangle, and he won the Eternal MMA flyweight championship.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [5](https://www.ufcespanol.com/athlete/steve-erceg) His last pre-UFC bout was a first-round rear-naked choke of Soichiro Hirai at Eternal MMA 73 in February 2023.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg)
## Rise to a title shot
**A fast start in the UFC.** Erceg made his promotional debut on short notice against the top-10 ranked Czech flyweight David Dvořák at [UFC 289](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-289) in Vancouver on June 10, 2023, winning a unanimous decision.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/5/4/24146552/ufc-301-paths-to-victory-how-steve-erceg-can-upset-alexandre-pantoja) He then out-pointed [Alessandro Costa](https://www.edgepedia.org/alessandro-costa) at [UFC 295](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-295) at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023, and knocked out Matt Schnell with a straight right to left hook combination in 26 seconds of round two on March 2, 2024.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [6](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-to-cement-his-place-in-the-flyweight-ranks-ufc-abu-dhabi) That walk-off knockout, his signature left hand, put him in line for a championship opportunity in only his fourth UFC bout.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/5/4/24146552/ufc-301-paths-to-victory-how-steve-erceg-can-upset-alexandre-pantoja)
At [UFC 301](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-301) in Rio de Janeiro on May 4, 2024, Erceg challenged champion [Alexandre Pantoja](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandre-pantoja) and lost a competitive five-round unanimous decision.[5](https://www.ufcespanol.com/athlete/steve-erceg) • [6](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-to-cement-his-place-in-the-flyweight-ranks-ufc-abu-dhabi) The close fight affirmed his standing among the elite of the 125-pound division even though it ended his winning streak.[6](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-to-cement-his-place-in-the-flyweight-ranks-ufc-abu-dhabi)
## Setbacks and rebuilding
**Two consecutive losses.** At UFC 305 in Perth on August 17, 2024, Erceg was knocked out in the first round (4:04) by [Kai Kara-France](https://www.edgepedia.org/kai-kara-france), who landed a right cross and finished with ground strikes.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) He then lost a five-round unanimous decision to former champion [Brandon Moreno](https://www.edgepedia.org/brandon-moreno) at UFC Fight Night in Mexico City on March 29, 2025, his third defeat in four fights, all against two former champions and a multi-time title challenger.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [7](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-redemption-ufc-perth)
**Back-to-back wins.** Erceg returned on August 9, 2025 and won a three-round unanimous decision over Ode Osbourne at a UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [5](https://www.ufcespanol.com/athlete/steve-erceg) On May 2, 2026, in his hometown of Perth at [UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-fight-night-della-maddalena-vs-prates), he won a unanimous decision over [Tim Elliott](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-elliott), a victory that set up a bout in [Abu Dhabi](https://www.edgepedia.org/abu-dhabi) where he sought a third straight win.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [6](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-to-cement-his-place-in-the-flyweight-ranks-ufc-abu-dhabi)
**Most recent fight.** On July 25, 2026, at [UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-fight-night-ankalaev-vs-guskov), Erceg lost by first-round TKO (4:21) to Ramazan Temirov, who won with an overhand right.[3](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg) • [2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg) He has no fight booked as of the most recent tracking.[2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg)
## Fighting style
Erceg builds his striking around a stiff, persistent jab, using it to find range, establish a damaging threat, and cover entries, with most of his combinations built on the jab, the straight right, and the left hook.[8](https://www.themmadraw.com/p/ufc-301-technical-preview-steve-erceg) His crisp boxing and timing let him create angles to land the left hand, which knocked out Matt Schnell and is regarded as his money punch.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/5/4/24146552/ufc-301-paths-to-victory-how-steve-erceg-can-upset-alexandre-pantoja) He is also a [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/brazilian-jiu-jitsu) black belt with six career submission wins, though analysts note he is stronger when taking the lead and can be backed up to the fence under pressure.[5](https://www.ufcespanol.com/athlete/steve-erceg) • [4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/5/4/24146552/ufc-301-paths-to-victory-how-steve-erceg-can-upset-alexandre-pantoja)
In UFC competition he lands 4.56 significant strikes per minute at 47% accuracy and averages 1.09 takedowns per 15 minutes.[2](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg)
## References
1. [Steve "Astro Boy" Erceg, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Steve-Erceg-228813)
2. [Steve Erceg, UFCalendar](https://www.ufcalendar.com/fighters/steve-erceg)
3. [Steve Erceg, Minted MMA](https://www.mintedmma.com/fighter/steve-erceg)
4. [UFC 301 Paths to Victory: How Steve Erceg can upset Alexandre Pantoja, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/5/4/24146552/ufc-301-paths-to-victory-how-steve-erceg-can-upset-alexandre-pantoja)
5. [Steve Erceg, UFC (athlete profile)](https://www.ufcespanol.com/athlete/steve-erceg)
6. [Steve Erceg Aiming to Cement His Place In The Flyweight Ranks, UFC](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-to-cement-his-place-in-the-flyweight-ranks-ufc-abu-dhabi)
7. [Steve Erceg | Aiming For Redemption, UFC](https://www.ufc.com/news/steve-erceg-aiming-redemption-ufc-perth)
8. [UFC 301 Technical Preview: Steve Erceg is a tough fight for Alexandre Pantoja, The MMA Draw](https://www.themmadraw.com/p/ufc-301-technical-preview-steve-erceg)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Flyweight and strawweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license