Steve Erceg VS Tim Elliott

In a classic clash of styles, Erceg secured a gritty unanimous decision win in front of his home crowd. Elliott came out strong in the opening round, using his trademark awkward movement, darting in and out, and securing an early takedown to bank a competitive first frame. However, Erceg made brilliant adjustments in the second round, utilizing superior footwork and relying heavily on a crisp, stabbing jab that continually found Elliott's chin. As Elliott grew visibly fatigued, his wild lunges were repeatedly punished by Erceg's precise counter punches and body shots. By the third round, Erceg was firmly in the driver's seat, avoiding Elliott's desperate grappling entries and circling out of range to pick him apart on the feet. Erceg's clean boxing and striking volume over the final ten minutes earned him the nod on all three judges' scorecards (29-28 across the board).

Perth native Steve Erceg, a former title challenger who went five rounds with Alexandre Pantoja and still only 30 years old, is trying to rebuild towards another belt run after back-to-back losses in 2024, while 39-year-old Tim Elliott has quietly strung together consecutive submission finishes — including a guillotine of Kai Asakura at UFC 319 — and arrives as a proven hype-train derailment artist at flyweight. Erceg carries the youth and home-crowd advantage, but Elliott's unorthodox southpaw grappling has produced finishes at a startling rate late in his career.