Ultimate Fighting Championship
flyweight contender
Matt
Schnell shot to public recognition overnight courtesy of the
instant classic he put on against
Su Mudaerji
at
UFC on ABC 3 in July 2022. The seasoned veteran from Louisiana
weathered a torrent of punishment before rallying to secure a
technical submission in a two-round classic. That victory,
sandwiched between losses to
Brandon
Royval and
Matheus
Nicolau, besides several other notable performances, forged his
identity as someone who embraces a battle to the bitter end. He is
now tasked with the stiff trial of taking on surging No. 12-ranked
flyweight contender
Steve Erceg
this Saturday at
UFC Fight Night 238 in Las Vegas.
Erceg, a distinguished challenger from Down Under, has only
competed in two UFC bouts but is already on the radar as a fierce
competitor. Interestingly, “Astro Boy” replaced Schnell to take on
David
Dvorak at
UFC
289 after the American fractured his hand while sparring. Erceg
won his UFC debut by unanimous decision and bagged “Performance of
the Night” honors in the process. The Australian naturally became
the frontrunner to challenge “Danger” next. However, when Schnell
pulled out again, Erceg collected yet another clear-cut triumph
against replacement opponent
Alessandro
Costa via unanimous decision. With the overlapping narratives
at different junctures, it is long overdue that they finish this
chapter of their careers.
Ahead of their forthcoming battle at the UFC Apex, a look at some
of their statistical highlights:
9: Schnell has nine submission victories on his record, which
highlight his killer instinct when the fight hits the canvas.
3: Schnell occupies the shared eighth spot on the flyweight list
for most fight night bonuses with three.
8:10: Schnell holds the sixth spot on the flyweight ladder when it
comes to shortest average time in the UFC at eight minutes, 10
seconds.
4.25: Schnell averages 4.25 strikes per minute, which ranks 10th on
the division’s rankings ladder.
56: The fact that Schnell’s significant strike defense is listed at
56% underscores that while engaging in high-octane clashes, he is
still able to exhibit solid defensive skills.
10: Erceg is riding on a 10-fight undefeated streak going into the
fight against Schnell.
6: Erceg has rattled off six submission victories throughout his
career, which underline his grappling prowess.
77: Erceg has also exhibited 77% takedown defense in two UFC
fights, indicating he is a hard fighter to get to the canvas.