Tim Elliott and Steve Erceg conducted their first staredown prior to their scheduled bout at UFC Perth. The post asked fans to pick a favorite between the two flyweight contenders. No details about the nature of the face-off or any verbal exchanges were included. Both fighters are set to compete on the upcoming Perth card. The post includes a photo from the UFC.
Steve Erceg and Tim Elliott shared their first staredown ahead of their flyweight clash at UFC Perth, with the UFC releasing a photo of the moment and inviting fans to weigh in on the matchup.
Erceg, ranked ninth in the flyweight division, enters the contest on home soil as the 30-year-old Australian looks to push further up the 125-pound ladder. Fighting out of Wilkes Martial Arts in an orthodox stance, the six-foot-eight-inch-reaching contender lands four significant strikes per minute at a 45 percent accuracy clip and adds 1.15 takedowns per 15 minutes to his 14-4 record. The crowd in Perth will undoubtedly be in his corner.
Elliott brings a wealth of experience to the matchup, carrying a 22-14-1 record into the bout at 39 years of age. The American southpaw, ranked 11th at flyweight, is one of the division's most relentless grapplers, averaging 3.71 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts in the same span — numbers that make him a persistent threat on the canvas regardless of where a fight starts. He trains out of Next Generation Mixed Martial Arts and holds a 66-inch reach at five-foot-seven.
Why it matters
- Erceg fights in front of a home crowd, adding stakes to an already meaningful divisional contest
- A win for either man strengthens their case for a higher-ranked opponent in a competitive flyweight division
- Elliott's elite takedown volume against Erceg's well-rounded striking and grappling game sets up a compelling stylistic puzzle
- The result could shift the landscape in the lower half of the flyweight top ten
