Last Saturday night, the flyweight title was on the line in the main event of UFC 301. Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) was defending his title in his home country against a very game challenger in Australia's Steve Arseg (12-2).
It was very clear from the opening bell that Erceg was going to be a tougher challenge than many thought, considering the fact that he entered the title fight in 10th place in the rankings. Don't get me wrong, Steve Arseg was the better fighter on the feet Saturday night. He did much more damage when they were attacking.
But going into the match, I thought grappling was going to be Pantoja's biggest weapon. Through the first four rounds, Pantoja won two of the rounds that relied heavily on takedowns. But going into the final round, I had El Ceg 39-37 and two of the three judges had him 38-38.
Erceg was winning the final round on his feet when he made the biggest mistake of his career. He tried to score a takedown on the much better grappler, and Pantoja took advantage of the attempt to turn him around and eventually come out on top. Pantoja survived the last few minutes on top and won the final round, which was enough to earn him a decision. The champion is very fortunate to be able to leave UFC 301 with the title.
What's next after UFC 301?
Pantoja said after the game that he wanted to take some time off before his next game. He has fought three times since last July, all three fights lasting a full 25 minutes. I think it would be wise for him and the division to wait until the fall before defending his title again.
With that said, who should the UFC look to in terms of its next challenger? Brandon Roybal is the favorite with 125 points after defeating Brandon Moreno, but he has already lost to Pantoja twice. It will be a tough sell for the fan base, but he is definitely an option. Amir Albazi is also definitely a player to keep an eye on, as is Mohammad Mokaev.
Personally, I'd like to see either of them get the next shot at 125 to keep things fresh. I think we'll probably see some title eliminator matches over the summer, which would allow the UFC to choose the ideal opponent for Pantoja's return. To be honest, I wouldn't rule out Steve Arseg.
Erceg just fought for the title, but if he comes back and gets a big win over someone like Brandon Roybal in his next fight, he could get another chance. For Pantoja, the coming months will see who emerges as the next clear challenger to the throne.
This post was published on 2024-05-06 12:22