Steve Erceg Ethnicity/Nationality: All About the UFC Flyweight’s Parents and Background

When Steve Erceg took the fight against Alexandre Pantoja, the entire MMA world was not expecting much from the fighter as he was pretty new to the UFC. His selection as the potential contender for the flyweight title was even laughed at, however, ‘Astroboy’ shocked the entire MMA community with his amazing performance at UFC 301. Despite the loss, Erceg made sure that everyone knew who is he.

Currently standing at the 7th place in the UFC flyweight rankings, there has been quite a bit of ruckus regarding his mettle against Pantoja. However, it must be noted that it was all because ‘The Cannibal’ asked the UFC CEO, Dana White, for a new opponent. Nevertheless, have you ever wondered about Erceg’s ethnicity? Let’s have a look at the challenger’s background.

Steve Erceg’s roots and ethnicity

Nicknamed the ‘Astroboy’, the Erceg was born on the 27th of July, 1995. The 28-year-old mixed martial artist hails from the land of Perth, Western Australia. The city is not new to UFC. Alexander Volkanovski fought Islam Makhachev in UFC 284 in Perth. Furthermore, the city is set to host the mixed martial arts promotion once again for UFC 305.

Without a doubt, the Perth-born fighter aspires to become the champion someday, with his eyes taking Volkanovski as his idol. “Definitely, now, Alexander Volkanovski. I don’t like to say it because I don’t like being a fanboy in front of people, but when I went to Perth, just to see the way he carried himself [against Islam Makhachev],” the Aussie has revealed.

But how come he got himself the nickname? Well, it came from Stephen Thompson’s moniker, ‘Wonderboy’. Although he initially wanted to take up the same name, Erceg disclosed that his coach’s ex-girlfriend pointed out that he looked like ‘Astroboy’. And then the name has stuck like glue. Coming from Perth, the fighter has seen fights that have inspired many others to get their stance in mixed martial arts. Erceg’s, however, has taken him from being an anonymous fighter to being the unexpected challenger of the flyweight division. 

All about Astroboy’s family, parents, and fiancée

Steve Erceg is currently in a relationship with Kaetlyn Earl. Although they have been dating for a while now, the lovebirds are yet to tie the knot. But that doesn’t mean they’re not committed to marrying each other one day. The couple got engaged and announced it through social media. 

As per her social media bio, Earl is a fly-in, fly-out exercise physiologist, who takes care of clients who have to travel to various places for work. Moreover, she is also a phenomenal artist. She likes to make cheese boards and coasters out of epoxy resin. She even has a shop named, ‘Resin by Katelyn’, where she sells her creations. 

Now, let’s shift our focus to the Aussie fighter’s dad, Matthew Erceg. Although not much is known about his mother, Loretta Erceg, in an interview, he revealed that his father played a vital role in his getting into the world of mixed martial arts. It was one of Brock Lesnar’s fights that inspired the young Erceg to think of a career in combat sports. But it was his father’s support that helped him achieve that dream. “After watching one of the UFC events where Brock Lesnar fought, I just told ‘Dad, I really want to do MMA.’ So, he found an MMA gym and took me to [that] gym,” Erceg said. Without a doubt, the fighter has got immense support from those he calls family. 

What do you think about Steve Erceg’s background? State your thoughts in the comments below.