Outside Source
Nascimento was originally scheduled to fight a ranked opponent in Rafael Estevam, at UFC Fight Night 263 on Saturday. However, Estevam was replaced by Cody Durden on short notice for a catchweight matchup at 130 pounds. Nascimento submitted Durden with an anaconda choke in the second round to claim a $50K post-fight bonus check. Earning his moment on the microphone, “Puro Osso” subsequently called out former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg.
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Nascimento (22-6) acknowledged Erceg as a fellow well-rounded athlete, praising the man he wishes to engage in unarmed combat with in the near future. However, the Brazilian believes his training at Chute Boxe will be the difference-maker in a potential matchup against Erceg. Nascimento initially asked for Erceg next in his interview with commentator Daniel Cormier, and expanded upon his callout during the post-fight presser.
For Your Health
“[I have] a lot of respect for Erceg,” Nascimento felt comfortable admitting during the UFC Vegas 110 post-fight press conference. “He is a very good fighter, very tough fighter. But let’s [do] this. Maybe one week to relax, it’s good for health, good for body, and next week we come back to the gym, train a lot and [be] ready for when the UFC calls me… [Erceg] is a complete fighter. He has very good skills in the boxing, the kicks, he has very good jiu-jitsu too. So, both of us maybe have the same game. But I’m at Chute Boxe you know, that’s the difference.”
The 34-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazil, has won four straight with two submissions on his way up the ladder. The Chute Boxe Diego Lima product debuted unsuccessfully for the league in 2021, dropping a split decision to Tagir Ulanbekov in 2021.
Meanwhile, Erceg (13-4) earned a speedy title shot in 2024 by stringing together three wins in the span of under nine months. The Aussie came up short in his bid for gold, and his flyweight campaign has since crashed back down to Earth after his meteoric rise. The championship defeat was the first of three consecutive losses for “Astro Boy.” He was, however, able to rebound in August by taking a decision over Ode Osbourne.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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