Video: At UFC 301, Alexandre Pantoja faces surprise opponent Steve Erceg. Why this matchup?

March 20, 2024 12:30 pm ET

UFC 301 has its headliner, and flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will be putting his title on the line against Steve Erceg.

Pantoja will get his fight on home soil in Brazil, while Erceg, No. 14 flyweight in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie men’s flyweight rankings, gets a crack at UFC gold after just three fights with the promotion.

How did we end up with this matchup? Is this a message to the rest of the flyweight division that were passed up for the opportunity, or was this simply a case of timing being in favor of the Australian flyweight?

Those were the questions asked about this matchup in this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” with Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, Brian “Goze” Garcia and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel at noon ET. You can also find each episode on your favorite podcast platforms – including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more – on Tuesday mornings.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.