Latest news with #SteveErceg
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steve Erceg admits he felt "heaps" of pressure to snap his losing skid vs. Ode Osbourne
UFC on ESPN 72 winner Steve Erceg talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his unanimous decision victory over Ode Osbourne.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Steve Erceg admits doubts prior to UFC on ESPN 72 rebound win: 'Was I a fraud all along?'
LAS VEGAS – Steve Erceg is only human, so it was natural he had concerns about his position going into a critical moment Saturday at UFC on ESPN 72. With the pressure of a three-fight losing skid and facing a short notice opponent in Ode Osbourne (13-9 MMA, 5-7 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, former flyweight title challenger Erceg (13-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) rose to the occasion with a unanimous decision victory to put himself back in the win column. "Relieved," Erceg told MMA Junkie and other reporters of his emotions post-fight at UFC on ESPN 72. "It's been a while, so it's good to be answering questions again after the fight. (There was) heaps (of pressure). Obviously you have doubts running through your head like, 'Was I a fraud all along? Do I really belong? Do I deserve to be here?' – all that nonsense. It's good to fight a tough guy in the UFC who has been here for ages and get a tough win." Although Erceg only lost to the best in champion Alexandre Pantoja, former champion Brandon Moreno and two-time title contender Kai Kara-France during his drought, he was well aware quality of competition only makes up for so much. He needed to get his hand raised, and after being hurt "pretty bad" by an Osbourne punch in the first round, Erceg was forced to battle back in the second and third rounds to gut out a career-saving triumph. "I thought I did enough, but you never really know," Erceg said. "I had his back in the second, I had his back in the third, so I thought I did enough." With the hard times now behind him, Erceg can look ahead to the future with some hopes of building momentum. The 30-year-old Australian is eyeing a quick turnaround and hopes matchmakers can find him an opponent for UFC Fight Night 260 on Sept. 27 in Perth. "I think (I can turn around for Perth card)," Erceg said. "You never know, but I think I can at the moment for sure. That's the plan."
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Erceg plans for Perth fight after career-saving win
Steve Erceg says he can back up quickly from his career-saving victory against Ode Osbourne and step into the octagon in Perth for the UFC Fight Night at RAC Arena in September. Erceg (13-4) snapped a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision over Osbourne (13-9) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday morning. It was a vital win for the 30-year-old former title contender who was in danger of being cut by the UFC had he lost a fourth consecutive bout. Erceg said he could back up in only seven weeks and fight in Perth on September 28 when light heavyweights Carlos Ulberg takes on Dominick Reyes in the main event. 'I think so. You never know but I think I can at the moment for sure,' Erceg said when asked if he could do the quick turnaround. Things didn't look good early in the fight for Erceg when the free-wheeling Osbourne caught him with a lethal right hand. The man known as 'AstroBoy' kept him composure to win the next two rounds, turning to his grappling to curtail the dangerous striker, taking control of to ensure he would get the win on the judges' scoreboards 29-28. Steve Erceg snapped a three-fight losing streak. Credit: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC '(I was) Pretty hurt. Part of the game plan, though. Dad told me, 'Make sure you get hurt early, let him blow his load and then figure it out after that,'' Erceg said. 'I thought I did enough. You never really know, but I thought I had his back in the second, I had his back in the third, so I thought I did enough.' Erceg said he had 'heaps' of pressure on himself heading into the fight to snap his losing streak. 'You have doubts going through your head,' he said. 'Was I a fraud along? Do I deserve to be here? All that nonsense. 'It's good to fight a tough guy in the UFC. He's been here for ages and to get a tough win.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 72 live updates: Results, round-by-round coverage of every fight
UFC on ESPN 72 (ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). UFC on ESPN 72 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In the headliner, Roman Dolidze (15-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on Anthony Hernandez (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in a middleweight matchup. Additionally, recent flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) meets Ode Osbourne (13-8 MMA, 5-6 UFC) in a short-notice co-main event at bantamweight. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 4 p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ and 7 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN and ESPN+. Enjoy the fights, everyone. UFC on ESPN 72 lineup MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET) Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez Steve Erceg vs. Ode Osbourne Angela Hill vs. Iasmin Lucindo Andre Fili vs. Christian Rodriguez Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET) Rafael Cerqueira vs. Julius Walker Toshiomi Kazama vs. Elijah Smith Priscila Cachoeira vs. Joselyne Edwards Uros Medic vs. Gilbert Urbina Gabriella Fernandes vs. Julija Stoliarenko Cody Brundage vs. Eric McConico This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC on ESPN 72 live updates: Results, round-by-round coverage of every fight
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
How sweet potato is making Aussie UFC star happier
His UFC contract may be on the line, but the sight of carbs on his plate is making Australian Steve Erceg one happy man. Erceg will be aiming to snap a three-fight losing run when he faces Jamaican Ode Osbourne in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday AEST). The bantamweight battle looms as a fork-in-the-road moment for Erceg's rollercoaster UFC career. Erceg (12-4) started his UFC journey with three impressive wins, paving the way for a title bout against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in Brazil last year. The West Australian's decision to grapple Pantoja in the final round instead of continuing to pepper the bruised and bloodied champion with more blows came back to haunt him, with that loss followed by a round-one knockout defeat to Kai Kara-France in Perth. Eager to avoid back-to-back knockout losses, Erceg played it safe during his unanimous decision defeat to Brandon Moreno in March - a mistake the 30-year-old vows not to repeat. "I can't believe I fought like that. I'm disgusted in myself honestly," Erceg told AAP. "Now I am more willing to take risks, because getting knocked out isn't as bad as the feeling of losing a fight that you didn't try your best in. "I know that my contract is on the line with the UFC, so I need to start putting some stuff together." Erceg's original opponent for his upcoming fight was Alex Perez, who pulled out less than three weeks ago due to a fracture. Perez's replacement - HyunSung Park - was then withdrawn just over a week ago so he could headline UFC Vegas 108 against Tatsuro Taira. Osbourne (13-8) has stepped up at short notice, but because the 33-year-old hasn't had much time to cut weight, his fight against Erceg will be held at bantamweight instead of flyweight. That means Erceg can effectively be 4.5kg heavier than normal for his weigh-in, and he's been loving every second of it, especially the sight of sweet potatoes on his plate. "It's been fantastic," Erceg said. "The UFC nutrition team, they make your meals during fight week to make it easier for you to cut weight and have the right nutrients. "And it's the first time I've ever had carbs included in the meals. So that's been exciting. I'm honestly happier. "Usually I get in a pretty bad mood - not that I act rude or anything like that - but my dad and my coach can definitely tell that I'm not my happy-go-lucky self (when I have to cut down for flyweight)." Erceg is only two-and-a-bit years into his UFC career, and doesn't want it to end anytime soon. His UFC contract may be on the line, but the sight of carbs on his plate is making Australian Steve Erceg one happy man. Erceg will be aiming to snap a three-fight losing run when he faces Jamaican Ode Osbourne in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday AEST). The bantamweight battle looms as a fork-in-the-road moment for Erceg's rollercoaster UFC career. Erceg (12-4) started his UFC journey with three impressive wins, paving the way for a title bout against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in Brazil last year. The West Australian's decision to grapple Pantoja in the final round instead of continuing to pepper the bruised and bloodied champion with more blows came back to haunt him, with that loss followed by a round-one knockout defeat to Kai Kara-France in Perth. Eager to avoid back-to-back knockout losses, Erceg played it safe during his unanimous decision defeat to Brandon Moreno in March - a mistake the 30-year-old vows not to repeat. "I can't believe I fought like that. I'm disgusted in myself honestly," Erceg told AAP. "Now I am more willing to take risks, because getting knocked out isn't as bad as the feeling of losing a fight that you didn't try your best in. "I know that my contract is on the line with the UFC, so I need to start putting some stuff together." Erceg's original opponent for his upcoming fight was Alex Perez, who pulled out less than three weeks ago due to a fracture. Perez's replacement - HyunSung Park - was then withdrawn just over a week ago so he could headline UFC Vegas 108 against Tatsuro Taira. Osbourne (13-8) has stepped up at short notice, but because the 33-year-old hasn't had much time to cut weight, his fight against Erceg will be held at bantamweight instead of flyweight. That means Erceg can effectively be 4.5kg heavier than normal for his weigh-in, and he's been loving every second of it, especially the sight of sweet potatoes on his plate. "It's been fantastic," Erceg said. "The UFC nutrition team, they make your meals during fight week to make it easier for you to cut weight and have the right nutrients. "And it's the first time I've ever had carbs included in the meals. So that's been exciting. I'm honestly happier. "Usually I get in a pretty bad mood - not that I act rude or anything like that - but my dad and my coach can definitely tell that I'm not my happy-go-lucky self (when I have to cut down for flyweight)." Erceg is only two-and-a-bit years into his UFC career, and doesn't want it to end anytime soon. His UFC contract may be on the line, but the sight of carbs on his plate is making Australian Steve Erceg one happy man. Erceg will be aiming to snap a three-fight losing run when he faces Jamaican Ode Osbourne in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday AEST). The bantamweight battle looms as a fork-in-the-road moment for Erceg's rollercoaster UFC career. Erceg (12-4) started his UFC journey with three impressive wins, paving the way for a title bout against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in Brazil last year. The West Australian's decision to grapple Pantoja in the final round instead of continuing to pepper the bruised and bloodied champion with more blows came back to haunt him, with that loss followed by a round-one knockout defeat to Kai Kara-France in Perth. Eager to avoid back-to-back knockout losses, Erceg played it safe during his unanimous decision defeat to Brandon Moreno in March - a mistake the 30-year-old vows not to repeat. "I can't believe I fought like that. I'm disgusted in myself honestly," Erceg told AAP. "Now I am more willing to take risks, because getting knocked out isn't as bad as the feeling of losing a fight that you didn't try your best in. "I know that my contract is on the line with the UFC, so I need to start putting some stuff together." Erceg's original opponent for his upcoming fight was Alex Perez, who pulled out less than three weeks ago due to a fracture. Perez's replacement - HyunSung Park - was then withdrawn just over a week ago so he could headline UFC Vegas 108 against Tatsuro Taira. Osbourne (13-8) has stepped up at short notice, but because the 33-year-old hasn't had much time to cut weight, his fight against Erceg will be held at bantamweight instead of flyweight. That means Erceg can effectively be 4.5kg heavier than normal for his weigh-in, and he's been loving every second of it, especially the sight of sweet potatoes on his plate. "It's been fantastic," Erceg said. "The UFC nutrition team, they make your meals during fight week to make it easier for you to cut weight and have the right nutrients. "And it's the first time I've ever had carbs included in the meals. So that's been exciting. I'm honestly happier. "Usually I get in a pretty bad mood - not that I act rude or anything like that - but my dad and my coach can definitely tell that I'm not my happy-go-lucky self (when I have to cut down for flyweight)." Erceg is only two-and-a-bit years into his UFC career, and doesn't want it to end anytime soon.
