"He's got no weak areas" - Michael Bisping shares prediction for Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg title fight at UFC 301
Michael Bisping believes Alexandre Pantoja will be too much for Steve Erceg to handle.
'The Cannibal' will take on Erceg tomorrow evening in a flyweight title clash in the main event of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro. The fight card will also feature the grand return of former pound-for-pound king Jose Aldo.
Bisping believes Pantoja has a well-rounded MMA skillset and sees him as the favorite for the fight. In a recent segment on his YouTube channel, 'The Count' hyped up the Brazilian's résumé, claiming that he had already more or less cleared out the 125-pound division:
"Alexandre Pantoja, this man is phenomenal. He has pretty much gone through the entire flyweight division - Brandon Moreno, the [Brandon] Royvals, the [Manel] Kapes. You name it, he's done it"
The former middleweight champion added:
"The man's phenomenal. He's got no weak areas. He's got a strong mind. He's resilient. He's got an amazing gas tank. He can strike, he can wrestle, he's got world-class jiu-jitsu and he's nasty ba***rd on top of it."
Catch Michael Bisping's comments below (0:54):
According to Bisping, Erceg won't be the one to dethrone the more skilled and experienced Pantoja unless he lands a lucky haymaker.
The bookmakers echo 'The Count's' sentiment. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, Pantoja is a -185 favorite over 'Astro Boy' (+154 underdog) for UFC 301.
Alexandre Pantoja showers praise on Steve Erceg
Fight fans were surprised when Steve Erceg was granted a title fight opportunity in just his fourth bout in the UFC, with some questioning the disparity in experience between the Australian and the reigning champion, Alexandre Pantoja.
'The Cannibal', for one, doesn't subscribe to this narrative. Talking to ESPN MMA in the lead-up to UFC 301, he hyped up his opponent, saying:
"He [Steve Erceg] feels very calm in the octagon, he feels very comfortable in all three [of his UFC] fights. In the last fight, he knocked out Matt Schnell very easily. This is something I've opened my eyes to... Don't make mistakes. I have a huge opponent and in my home town... The fans want a victory and I agree with that. People want a victory, I am going to give a victory for everyone."
Catch Alexandre Pantoja's comments below (5:17):