Erceg Survives Early Scare to Defeat Osbourne at UFC Vegas 109
Steve Erceg’s back was firmly against the wall heading into UFC Vegas 109. The former flyweight title challenger had lost three in a row, and the whispers about his UFC future were getting louder. On Saturday night, he stepped into the co-main event against Ode Osbourne knowing this could be a make-or-break moment in his career. And the fight didn’t exactly start the way he wanted.
Early in the first round, Erceg was caught clean by a sharp check right hook from Osbourne. He went down hard, and for a moment it looked like the fight might be over. Osbourne swarmed in, throwing punches in bunches, clearly hunting for the finish. But Erceg refused to quit. He weathered the storm, survived the worst of the onslaught, and by the end of the round had Osbourne on his back, fishing for a submission to swing the momentum.
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The second round was much tighter. Both fighters traded strikes, and Erceg began mixing in takedown attempts to keep Osbourne guessing. Neither man truly ran away with the frame, but the Australian’s persistence was starting to show. He wasn’t just hanging in there anymore — he was building toward a strong finish.
And that’s exactly what happened in round three. Erceg came out determined, shot for the takedown, and planted Osbourne on the mat. From there, he went to work, controlling the position and threatening with multiple submission attempts. While the tap never came, it was a clear and dominant round in Erceg’s favor. After the final horn, all three judges saw it the same way, scoring it 29-28 for Erceg. The losing streak was snapped, and with it, a little bit of the pressure that had been hanging over his head.
For Erceg, this win means more than just getting back in the “W” column. His UFC journey began with three straight victories, earning him a surprise title shot. But after losses to Alexandre Pantoja, Kai Kara-France, and Brandon Moreno, his momentum was gone, and his career was at a crossroads. Despite calling those defeats a “dream come true” — because they came against the very best in the division — he admitted before the fight that this was a career-saving moment.
In his own words, Erceg has learned not to measure everything by wins and losses. He’s been in more co-main and main events than any other spot on the card, shared the cage with elite fighters, and gained experiences that most only dream about. Still, on Saturday night, in the heat of the Octagon under the lights of Las Vegas, he reminded everyone — and himself — that he’s still here, still dangerous, and still capable of writing the next chapter of his story.
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