Steve Erceg will look to turn things around in early 2025 – but not Down Under. Although the promotion is set to return to his native Australia in February, Erceg (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will compete at UFC Fight Night 253 vs. rising Kazakh contender Asu Almabayev (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC). The event takes place March 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The promotion officially announced the bout Friday on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UFC Australia & New Zealand (@ufcanz) Erceg (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) burst into the international spotlight with consecutive wins over David Dvorak, Alessandro Costa, and Matt Schnell that aligned him for a surprising title fight vs.