Steve Erceg was born on July 27th of 1995 in Perth, Western Australia, and is a name ringing bells in the MMA world. Erceg currently fights in the Flyweight division of the UFC and has risen through the ranks rather quickly, showing a blend of technical skill and toughness. He is ranked ninth in the UFC flyweight rankings as of December 17, 2024.
Early Life and Introduction to Martial Arts
Erceg is of a somewhat diverse ethnicity as he represents both Croatian and Italian descent. Raised at Corpus Christi College, during his childhood, he started developing an interest in professional wrestling but got particularly impressed with WWE. The action scenes that he did were enough for the introduction to MMA via the first ever bout of Brock Lesnar versus Frank Mir. Other than in the octagon and MMA, his field included Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but then he also participated in the event which named him winner. Not just a participator, by winning the Australian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships’s gold medal he achieved it into the 65 kg class.
Professional Career in MMA
Early Career
Pro Erceg has been competing in MMA professionally since 2016, parallel for the two most popular local organizations: Hex Fight Series and Eternal MMA. Having been the reigning Eternal MMA Flyweight Champion, he kept the title to enter the organization 9-1. UFC Debut and Subsequent Fights
Erceg was first booked to make his promotional debut against Clayton Carpenter on Dana White’s Contender Series in the sixth season of 2022, but visa issues kept pushing his start date back. Erceg finally made his octagon debut at UFC 289 on June 10, 2023, as he came in on short notice to take on David Dvořák and won via unanimous decision.
Coming out against predictions, the exciting fight saw him winning his maiden “Performance of the Night” bonus. He face Matt Schnell at UFC 295 on 11 November 2023. For unknown reasons, Schnell pulled out and Alessandro Costa came in as a replacement. Erceg won via unanimous decision.
Title Shot and Recent Fights
After a streak of brilliant performances, Erceg finally received a UFC Flyweight Title shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 on 4th May 2024. He has just come back short, though, as he lost the fight via unanimous decision.
This earned Erceg a call back to return into the octagon on August 18, 2024 at UFC 305 against Kai Kara-France. At the fight he ended up losing Erceg via technical knockout in round one.
Not defeated by that loss, he now faces Asu Almabayev at the UFC Fight Night 253 card this coming March 1, 2025, as he seeks to rebuild himself up among the top men within the flyweight division. Fighting Style and Training He stands at 5’8″ and has a reach of 68 inches, fighting in the Flyweight division at 125 lbs. Erceg is an orthodox fighter who can strike, grapple, and submit with the best of them.
Personal Life and Nickname
Nicknamed “Astro Boy,” Erceg was given the name because he resembled the popular Japanese manga character of the same name when younger. Besides his work inside the octagon, he coaches up-and-coming fighters with passion in discipline, respect, and learning.
Frequently Asked Questions about Steve Erceg
What is Steve Erceg’s record in MMA?
Steve Erceg comes into the fight with a professional MMA record of 12-3 as of January 2025.
When did Steve Erceg’s make his Octagon debut?
Erceg made his promotional debut at UFC 289 on June 10, 2023, against David Dvo, winning via unanimous decision.
Where did he get the nickname “Astro Boy”?
Steve Erceg was sometimes referred to as Astro Boy because, with his fairly boyish appearance and spiky hairstyle, he reminded some journalists of the manga-and-anime character of Astro Boy.
Who is Steve Erceg’s next opponent?
Steve Erceg vs. Asu Almabayev on 1st March 2025, UFC Fight Night 253.
