When Steve Erceg entered the octagon May 4 in Rio de Janeiro’s Farmasi Arena, he wasn’t just a heavy underdog; he was a name scarcely heard by UFC fans.
Erceg, then the No. 10 contender in the flyweight division, battled champion Alexandre Pantoja in just his fourth UFC fight.
Although Erceg lost by decision to Pantoja, he was encouraged by a performance that saw him go the distance for the first time in his career.
“Showed people that, despite the apparent pressure, I’m not going to wilt,” Erceg, 29, told The Post. “Although it looked too soon and all that nonsense, it probably wasn’t. I’m going to be a contender and then, eventually, champion one day.”
With his first title fight in the rearview mirror, Erceg is focused on his next opponent: No. 4 flyweight Kai Kara-France, whom he’ll battle Saturday at UFC 305 in his hometown of Perth, Australia.
Coming off his second career loss and first since 2017, Erceg can sense an extra intensity in camp.
“You’re a little bit hard on yourself if things don’t go well,” said Erceg, now the division’s No. 7 contender. “There’s a little bit more urgency to get and improve things.”
After fighting twice in a three-month span, Erceg has had more time to prepare for the New Zealander — although he doesn’t love waiting.
“I understand giving your body time to rest, and that sort of thing is good. But at the same time, we train all our lives to compete,” Erceg said. “Why would I say no to short-notice opportunities or quick turnarounds? That’s how I get paid. That’s what I like to do. I like to get into a cage with another man and find out who’s tougher. So why would I go, ‘Oh, no, I need six months every time because I need a full camp.’ I’m always training. Who cares?”
As one half of the co-main event, Erceg will fight on a card headlined by the middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis, neither a stranger to slinging barbs or boasts.
The unassuming Erceg, though, prefers staying quiet, especially since he teaches MMA in his gym.
“I think some people talk trash because they think they have to, and it’s super cringy and uncomfortable,” Erceg offered. “Yeah, I could go out there and talk trash. I don’t think it’s necessarily me. To start swearing at people and call them all these different names and then have to go to little Billy and say, ‘Oh, yeah, but you shouldn’t swear,’ it doesn’t make sense to me. I try to be a good role model for them.”
Instead, Erceg takes a more self-effacing approach: embracing his resemblance to Michael Scott (Steve Carell) of “The Office.”
“I think the show is amazing,” Erceg said. “I do see the comparisons between myself and Steve Carell. I like to have a joke. If it’s at my expense, I don’t really care. All the memes that are going around are quite funny.”
Rather than poking fun, RAC Arena will likely greet Erceg with a rousing ovation as he fights for the first time in Australia as a UFC competitor.
“It’s a dream come true,” Erceg said. “I’m going to go out there and have home crowd, big roar. I’m going to go out there, do my job and then soak up the atmosphere.”
Although not overlooking Kara-France, Erceg has his sights set on eventually rematching with Pantoja, or the new champ, down the line.
“The division is looking pretty stacked at the moment. There’s every opportunity for somebody to come in there and steal it before I get there,” Erceg said. “I think likely [if] I beat Kai, I have to fight once or twice more to get a title shot again.”
No matter Saturday’s outcome, Erceg strives to prove himself as the best of his counterparts — earning additional respect along the way.
“I want to be the toughest guy in the division, not just the champion,” Erceg said. “Champion, it’s the main goal, but it means nothing if you’ve dodged everybody. When people look at the flyweight division, like, ‘Oh, Steve’s undoubtedly the best fighter in that division.’ There’s not, ‘Oh, but Amir Albazi,’ none of that crap. I’ve beaten them all, I’m the guy. I want to fight everybody and prove that.”