Flyweights Steve Erceg and Matt Schnell kicked off the UFC Vegas 87 main card on Saturday, with Schnell returning from a fifteen-fight layoff.
A bit of a feeling out process played out in the night’s first flyweight bout, with Erceg looking to find his timing. Roughly 90 seconds in, he seemed to, landing a couple of shots in a combination while slipping some of Schnell’s own counters. With Erceg picking his spots well, and mixing up his attacks, Schnell was soon busted up, bleeding around his left eye. Erceg then wobbled Schnell a couple of times, but Matt wasn’t ready to go away quietly, and answered back by landing a couple of strikes of his own.
In the final minute, Erceg changed levels for a takedown, which Schnell defended and Steve Erceg bailed on.
Round two, Steve Erceg didn’t need to bail on anything, because he turned out the lights on Schnell. The left hook connected clean, and Schnell dropped to his back, out of it. A one-punch KO at flyweight, and the first finish for Erceg in the UFC. Following the win, he called out former champ Brandon Moreno. The Australian has also won 11 straight fights.
Official Result: Steve Erceg def. Matt Schnell by KO, Round 2, 0:26
