Having narrowly fallen short of the UFC flyweight title three months ago, Steve Erceg is returning to action with the knowledge that he can compete with the elite of the division.
Erceg, who currently occupies the #7 spot at 125 pounds, will be among the home fighters featuring at this weekend's UFC 305 pay-per-view, which goes down inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
"AstroBoy" has been able to make a relatively quick turnaround to compete in his city, returning after emerging from Brazil without the flyweight title in his possession this past May.
The 29-year-old received a surprise title shot after just three fights in the UFC, looking to cash in on favorable circumstances at the expense of champion Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 301 main event.
While unsuccessful in that endeavor, Erceg had plenty of positives to take away from the five-round defeat, and he'll carry them into his return against Kai Kara-France on August 17...
Erceg On UFC 301 Loss: 'I Learned That I Am Near The Top'
During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Erceg looked ahead to his fifth outing on MMA's biggest stage and chance to bounce back from his first UFC defeat.
When asked about his opening experience competing with UFC gold on the line, "AstroBoy" spoke of the added confidence he has having proven that he can hang with the best possible opposition in the flyweight division.
I learned that I am near the top of the division," Erceg said. "I always believed it, but even though I lost, the fact I was able to go five rounds, I did get up, he didn't take my back, I was able to land; there was a lot of good things that came out of it.
Also, obviously, a lot of things that I did wrong or he did well that I have to improve so that next time I get an opportunity like that, I can go there not as a good effort, but as a world champion," Erceg continued. "That's probably the biggest things I learned.
Erceg's first step toward working his way back toward Pantoja and the gold in "The Cannibal's" possession comes this weekend.
And with a leading contender in Muhammad Mokaev being removed from the picture after his shock exit from the UFC, "AstroBoy" may not be far from a second shot given the competitive nature of his performance in Rio de Janeiro and the high ranking of his next opponent.
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