The bout between Steve Erceg and Asu Almabayev has been reportedly added to the UFC Fight Night card on March 1 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, aka UFC Vegas 103. The pair square off in a three-rounder at flyweight.
Steve Erceg (12-3) looks to bounce back from a pair of defeats. The 29-year-old lost his previous fight last August via first-round TKO against Kai Kara-France. Last May, the Perth, Australia native challenged Alexandre Pantoja for his 125-pound title but dropped a unanimous decision.
Asu Almabayev (12-2) won 17 fights in a row, including four victories in the UFC, and three in 2024. The 30-year-old of Janatalap, Kazakhstan scored a unanimous decision against Matheus Nicolau last October, Jose Johnson last June, and C.J. Vergara last March.
The Erceg vs Almabayev showdown was reported by Dar Pro Team via post on social media. The promotion is yet to formally confirm the matchup.
Among other recently reported bouts, JJ Aldrich (13-7) of Denver, Colorado goes up against Andrea Lee (13-10) of Atlanta, Texas also at flyweight. The main event is expected to see a five-round matchup pitting former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval (17-7) of Denver, Colorado against Angolan-born Portuguese Manel Kape (20-7).
The current UFC Vegas 103 lineup is as follows:
- Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
- Luana Carolina vs. Montana De La Rosa
- Lucas Almeida vs. Danny Silva
- Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez
- William Gomis vs. Hyder Amil
- Charles Johnson vs. Ramazon Temirov
- Sam Patterson vs. Danny Barlow
- Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics
- Andrea Lee vs. JJ Aldrich
- Steve Erceg vs. Asu Almabayev