Ramazan Temirov defeats Steve Erceg by KO/TKO
Erceg vs Temirov — Flyweight · Ankalaev vs. Guskov
What happened
The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.
Temirov opened aggressively with heavy right hands.
He kept pursuing Erceg whenever Erceg looked for space.
A right hand folded Erceg and sent him to the canvas late in round one.
- Official UFC resultsUFC Abu Dhabi — Main Card Results
Who Called It?
How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.
Analyst picks: Keith Shillan Hit; Ben Duffy Hit; AJ Hit; Michael Chiesa Hit; JakeGerberMMA Hit; We Want Picks Hit; DFS By The Numbers Miss; HopperoMMA Miss; Bedtime MMA Miss.
All 9 analyst scorecardsWinner, method and round results9 scored · 6 hits · 3 misses
| Predicted by | Pick | Actual | Winner | Method | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temirov · KO/TKO · R1 | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Hit | Hit | Hit | |
| Calls Erceg a composed boxer but vulnerable defensively, and backs Temirov's explosive right hand to find a late first-round knockout.
Track record: winner called in 11 of 15 resolved picks. | |||||
| Temirov · KO/TKO · R1 | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Hit | Hit | Hit | |
| Acknowledges Erceg's encouraging win over Tim Elliott, but favors Temirov because Erceg's defensive lapses should give the heavier hitter a clean first-round finishing chance. Track record: winner called in 13 of 16 resolved picks. | |||||
| Temirov · to win | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Favors Temirov's explosive pressure, power and defensive wrestling over Erceg, while noting Erceg's toughness and grappling ability. Track record: winner called in 75 of 109 resolved picks. | |||||
| Temirov · to win | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Calls it close but favors Temirov's explosiveness and more meaningful shots; he explicitly leaves finish versus decision open. Track record: winner called in 29 of 42 resolved picks. | |||||
| Temirov · to win | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Names Ramazan Temirov as the full-card pick in this preview. Track record: winner called in 60 of 90 resolved picks. | |||||
| Temirov · to win | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Names Ramazan Temirov as the full-card pick in this preview. Track record: winner called in 79 of 121 resolved picks. | |||||
| Erceg · Dec | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Miss | Not applicable — the winner call missed | Not applicable — the winner call missed | |
| Takes Erceg as the better minute-winner through striking, grappling and cardio if he avoids Temirov's early power. Track record: winner called in 77 of 112 resolved picks. | |||||
| Erceg · to win | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Miss | Not applicable — the winner call missed | Not applicable — the winner call missed | |
| Picks Steve Erceg, citing the more proven and well-rounded fighter after Temirov's long layoff. Track record: winner called in 58 of 92 resolved picks. | |||||
| Erceg · to win | Temirov · KO/TKO R1 | Miss | Not applicable — the winner call missed | Not applicable — the winner call missed | |
| Picks Steve Erceg for his cleaner striking, size and reach against Temirov. Track record: winner called in 83 of 126 resolved picks. | |||||
6 of 9 nailed it.
The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.
Archive Pre-fight material — kept for transparency.
- 14-4-0
- Record
- 19-3-0
- 2-3 last 5
- Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 5-0 last 5
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- StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
- Southpaw
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- Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbsorbed / minSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
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- Striking defenseStrike def.Striking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- Takedown defenseTD def.Takedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- Australia
- Nationality
- Uzbekistan
- Wilkes MMA
- Team
- Muradov Legion Team
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.
Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in
Case for Erceg
Erceg wins on level and craft. 'Astro Boy' has shared the cage with the division's best — a five-round loss to former champion Brandon Moreno and a flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja — and he has rebuilt with decisions over Tim Elliott and Ode' Osbourne. His well-rounded game and six career submissions give him more ways to win than Temirov has yet had to solve in the UFC.
Case for Temirov
Temirov wins if his hands land clean. He is a perfect 5-0 across his last five with eleven career knockouts, and he introduced himself to the UFC by out-pointing Charles Johnson and stopping C.J. Vergara inside a round. The southpaw pressure and one-shot power are real; if he turns it into a firefight, Erceg has been hurt before — Kai Kara-France stopped him in a single round.
What We Were Watching For
- Experience vs momentum: Erceg has fought for a title, while Temirov is a perfect 2-0 inside the UFC — does the jump in level tell?
- Erceg's grappling: can he take the power out of the fight by getting Temirov to the mat, where he holds a clear submission edge?
- Temirov's left hand: eleven KOs from a southpaw stance — the moment it lands flush is the moment the fight can end.
- The Kara-France echo: Erceg's one clean knockout loss came to a pressure puncher — does Temirov fit that same profile?
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