Steve Erceg on the lessons from the Pantoja fight and the duel in France

Perth – Three months after his first title fight, UFC flyweight Steve Erceg returns to the Octagon to face Kai Kara-France on Saturday night at UFC 305.

“Honestly, life has remained exactly the same. I learned a lot and the performance gave me a lot of confidence,” Erceg told reporters on Wednesday.

“It didn't go the way I wanted, but I know I can compete at this level. I know I can last five rounds and push the pace. There were a lot of good things in the fight, even though I didn't get the result I wanted.”

Erceg (12-2) lost on points to champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in Brazil. Many argued he deserved the win, but ultimately he fell short. With the UFC returning to Perth, it was only right to have Perth-based Erceg on the card.

“As soon as I got back, I was back in the gym preparing for whatever the future held at that point. I knew they were coming to Perth. I wanted to be there. They were happy to have me there, to have a Perth boy on the card, so as long as I wasn't injured, I took the fight no matter who they gave me,” Erceg said.

In front of him stands Kai Kara-France, who returns to the cage after more than a year of absence.

“He's a very good fighter. He's super explosive, has very good takedown defense and hits really hard. I definitely have to watch my manners, but I think at the end of the day I'm just better,” he said.

“We will find out on Sunday morning.”

Above you can see the entire media scrum with Steve Erceg. He will face Kai Kara-France on Saturday night at UFC 305 (in the USA).