Ramazan Temirov vs. Steve Erceg
UFC Fight Night · July 25, 2026 · Etihad Arena
Ramazan Temirov def. Steve Erceg — KO (punch), R1 4:21
The prediction framed this as 'Temirov knockout inside two rounds or Erceg decision the longer it runs' — and Temirov made sure it never ran long. He came out firing from the opening bell and never let off the gas, and with 39 seconds left in round one he landed a right hand that sent Erceg collapsing to the canvas. The durability concern in the pre-fight read (Erceg had already been flattened by Kai Kara-France) proved out, and Temirov took home a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his twelfth straight win.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The opening five minutes decide the shape of this fight. Temirov will hunt for the kill early, closing distance in bursts and throwing to finish; Erceg will try to keep it long, touch him with the jab, and drag him into deep water. Temirov has never been stopped and his takedown defense is spotless so far, which takes away Erceg's fallback wrestling option. The pre-fight lean is a razor-thin fight that either ends in a Temirov knockout inside two rounds or becomes an Erceg decision the longer it runs.
The Matchup
This one pits Temirov's explosiveness against Erceg's polish, with a four-inch height advantage for the Australian against a shorter, faster puncher. Erceg is at his best managing range behind a jab and stacking up volume rounds; Temirov is at his most dangerous early, when his first-round blitzes and spinning attacks have produced most of his 11 knockouts. Erceg's durability is the swing factor — Kara-France flattened him in a round, and Temirov hits with similar violence. If Erceg weathers the early storm, his experience against elite flyweights should tell in rounds two and three.
Tale of the Tape
| Ramazan Temirov | Steve Erceg | |
|---|---|---|
| 19-3 | Record | 14-4 |
| 29 | Age | 30 |
| 5'4" | Height | 5'8" |
| 63" | Reach | 68" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Uzbekistan | Country | Australia |
| Legion Fight Club | Team | Wilkes MMA |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Ramazan Temirov
“Temurlan”
Ramazan Temirov is a fast-rising Uzbek flyweight who arrives in Abu Dhabi riding an 11-fight win streak that stretches back to 2019 and runs through China, Japan, and the UFC. He announced himself in the promotion with a first-round knockout of CJ Vergara, then outworked veteran Charles Johnson over three rounds. Despite standing just 5-foot-4, he fights big — explosive combinations, spinning attacks, and 11 career knockouts against zero submission wins. A win over a former title challenger like Erceg would push him straight toward the flyweight rankings' upper tier.
- WCharles Johnson · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev · March 1, 2025
- WCJ Vergara · TKO (punches)UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Taira · October 12, 2024
- WTakaki Soya · TKO (punches)RIZIN 44 · September 24, 2023
Steve Erceg
“Astroboy”
Australia's Steve Erceg went from unknown to title challenger in barely a year, pushing champion Alexandre Pantoja hard over five rounds at UFC 301 in just his fourth UFC fight. A rough stretch followed — a knockout loss to Kai Kara-France and a decision defeat to Brandon Moreno — but he has rebuilt with back-to-back decision wins over Ode Osbourne and Tim Elliott. The Perth product is a clean, high-IQ boxer with a submission-heavy grappling background from the Australian circuit. He has the size, reach, and championship-round experience edge over almost anyone at flyweight, and he needs one more statement win to get back in the title picture.
- WTim Elliott · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates · May 2, 2026
- WOde Osbourne · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Hernandez · August 9, 2025
- LBrandon Moreno · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Erceg · March 29, 2025