An Australian MMA fighter, Steve Erceg, catapulted to fame after winning his UFC debut against David Dvorak in mid-2023.
Considered an underdog, Erceg stunned viewers around the globe by defying the long odds and emerging victorious over the No.10 flyweight fighter.
With this, the 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall MMA figure brought anticipation to his prospects in the future bouts.
A Perth, Australia native competed in his home country’s mixed martial program, Eternal MMA, and won the Eternal MMA flyweight title in 2020. He defended the title three times before the UFC call.
Steve Erceg, a submission and grappling specialist, stood with a 9-1 record before the UFC called him on an 8-day notice for a bout against David Dvorak, which he won via U.A.
It was a prelim for the main card, Amanda Nunes vs Irene Aldana, but his sheer dedication & fighting ability would become another topic to discuss.
Later, he took on Mexican flyweight fighter Alessandro Costa (with a 13-3 record, now 13-4) in the UFC 295: Procházka vs. Pereira.
In the about, Erceg got his second UFC victory in a row, totaling MMA record to 11-1. Now, UFC viewers are anticipating his next fight and what he could bring to the octagon.
Steve Erceg Wikipedia And Age: Where Is He From?
Born on July 27, 1995, Erceg is from Perth, Western Australia, but lately, he’s been a roaring UFC rookie, with his name echoing over the globe.
As of 2024, Steve is 29 years old.
The brown-eyed and brown-haired MMA fighter, who goes by the nickname “Astroboy,” competes in the Flyweight division.
With his wins in his first two UFC bouts, he is considered the #17 in the Current Best MMA Flyweight Fighter.
Steve Erceg doesn’t have a Wikipedia page yet, but his professional MMA achievements are all over tabloids like ESPN, UFC, and Tapology.
There is no denying with his ongoing pace of achievements, it won’t be long before he has a Wiki page.
Throughout 12 professional bouts (as of November 2023), Erceg has only lost 1 match (in his second bout). As of this writing, he has a winning streak of 10.
Erceg’s Family: Mother Didn’t Approve Him For MMA
Steve is the eldest of two children of his Australian parents: father Matthew Erceg and mother Loretta Erceg. He has a younger sister named Alex Erceg.
Often in his interviews, the MMA fighter mentions his family, especially the part that his mother worries about him.
In a 2021 interview with Eternal MMA, Steve Erceg talked about his MMA journey and how his mom first disapproved of it.
During his teens, after watching a UFC event (particularly Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir), he got fascinated with MMA and told his father about his dream. So, his dad took him to an MMA gym and, later, would launch him into bouts.
Erceg’s mother was against his fighting career, but his dad pursued her. She reportedly would attend all his bouts even if she still worries about her son.
He said, “She [Steve’s mom] is obviously worried about her little boy getting beat up and all that sort of stuff. So, she was just trying to protect me in a different way.”
The UFC flyweight fighter states that their family is really and often goes to visit his parents once a week.
Steve Erceg’s MMA Stats: Win-Loss Record And Earnings
At 21, Erceg began his MMA career but had his first professional bout in 2016 against Ryan Robertson in the Australia regional. He won via his favorite guillotine choke.
His second match against Sean Gauci on September 1, 2017, resulted in his first-ever loss. It’s his only loss in his career of 11 bouts & he has since maintained a winning streak of 10.
Standing with an 11-1 record, Steve won 1 bout via KO and 6 via submission. As reported, his career earnings from the MMA are $50,000.
Check out his MMA stats:
Result | Opponent | Event |
---|---|---|
Win (via guillotine choke) | Ryan Robertson | Australia Regional |
Loss (via UA) | Sean Gauci | Hex Fight Series 11 |
Win (via UA) | Seung Guk Choi | Hex Fight Series 15 |
Win (via rear naked choke) | Mark Familari | Eternal MMA 43 |
Win (via arm-triangle choke) | Tim Moore | Eternal MMA 45 |
Win (via TKO) | Paul Loga | Eternal MMA 47 |
Win (via rear naked choke) | Shannon Ross | Eternal MMA 52 |
Win (via UA) | Cody Haddon | Eternal MMA 60 |
Win (via guillotine choke) | Paul Loga | Eternal MMA 62 |
Win (via rear naked choke) | Soichiro Hirai | Eternal MMA 73 |
In June 2023, he got an invitation to Dana White‘s Octagon at UFC 289.
Despite having only eight days of prior notice to face a formidable opponent, David Dvořák, he was not intimated and won via UA.
On November 11, 2023, the Australian fight went toe to toe with Alessandro Costa in his second UFC fight at UFC 295. He again emerged victorious with UA.