What Is UFC’s Steve Erceg’s Fighting Style? Is He a BJJ Black Belt?

UFC 300 was a blockbuster and to continue the same enthusiasm, Dana White has clinched certain fighters to fight in UFC’s comeback to Brazil at UFC 301. The main event of the night shall witness a title defense by Alexandre Pantoja against the Australian, Steve Erceg. ‘Astroboy’ has been one of the most all-around flyweight fighters in the division with 12 victories and 1 loss in his professional career, Erceg has cemented his way to the title bout.

Steve Erceg’s dominance in the Australian derby was immense, and he has been undefeated in the UFC as well. Ahead of their clash at UFC 301, let us have a closer look at ‘Astroboy’s fighting style.

What’s so special about Steve Erceg’s fighting style?

Born on July 27, 1995, Steve Erceg’s fascination with the world of fighting started when he witnessed Brock Lesnar fighting against Frank Mir at UFC 81. After witnessing Lesnar’s wrestling, Erceg decided that he would choose the path of fighting as his career and since then he has never looked back. ‘Astroboy’ started his professional career back in 2016. He was fighting in Australia’s local promotion Hex Fighting Series, and after a dominant performance, UFC decided to clinch the young talent under them.

With a solid professional record of 12 victories and only 1 loss, Erceg is one of the best flyweights in the world and his fighting style should be thanked for it. One might ask what’s so special about Erceg that won him his matches. Well, it’s none other than submitting his opponents in style. Out of his 12 victories, 6 came by way of submission. ‘Astroboy’ is known for grappling, however, he has some good knockout proficiencies as well. His last opponent was the victim of his punching power.

With a striking accuracy of 48%, Erceg can overwhelm his opponents with precision strikes but primarily, he would like to employ his takedown skills to defeat his opponents. His skills can be attributed to his training and gym, but wait, where does Erceg train? Let’s find out.

All about Erceg’s gym

Steve Erceg is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu. He is currently riding an 11-fight winning streak and has five first-round finishes. These are one hell of a record and all of these are thanks to his gym where he trains and coaches. The number one contender for the flyweight title primarily trains in his hometown of Perth, Australia. He rarely likes to leave his hometown as it is.

He trains under the guidance of David Wilkes, who owns the Wilkes Martial Arts, BJJ & MMA Academy. Wilkes runs the establishment alongside his wife. The head coach of Erceg taught him everything about MMA from the very start of his career. It must be noted that ‘Astroboy’ earned his Jiu-Jitsu black belt training under him.

Interestingly, Erceg has also trained with Beneil Dariush at ‘Kings MMA’ in Anaheim, California, along with training with multiple MMA people in his lifetime. Will it be enough for the young talent to oust Alexandre Pantoja? State your thoughts in the comments below.