Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his title at UFC 301 this past Saturday, defeating Steve Erceg by unanimous decision. In defeat, the ninth-ranked Erceg had a good showing in just his fourth octagon appearance.
Pantoja’s ability to take the fight to the ground and maintain top control was likely the deciding factor in some close rounds. Former middleweight titleholder Robert Whittaker believes it was Pantoja’s experience is ultimately what led to the win.
“We’re Australian, so we were going for Steve. I wanted to see Steve get that title and bring it back,” Whittaker said on the MMArcade Podcast. “I thought Pantoja did enough to win. Now whether or not it’s a fan favorite him getting takedowns and utilizing control time instead of damage time, or working like that. It’s still winning fights.”
“Personally, I had Pantoja winning the first three (rounds). Four went to Erceg, and I think five, it could have been either way, but I thought the way Steve finished was kind of bad. You never want to finish on your back. I think finishing on your back doesn’t look favorably to the South American judges.”
Despite the loss, Whittaker thought Erceg had a good performance. He…
