Alexandre Pantoja retained the UFC flyweight title Saturday in his native Rio de Janeiro, but it wasn’t without some pushback. In the UFC 301 main event at Farmasi Arna, Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) crept by Steve Erceg (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) to earn a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) nod. The battle was closely contested with multiple rounds up for debate. While Pantoja started strong, Erceg gained momentum in the second round as his boxing he came to life. In Round 3, Erceg sliced Pantoja open badly, a cut that caused blood to squirt all over the canvas as the champion controlled the challenger on the mat
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