A little over 15 months ago, Steve Erceg was headlining a pay-per-view and challenging for a UFC world title. This Saturday, “AstroBoy” may be fighting for his job.

Erceg faces Ode Osbourne in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 109 at the UFC APEX. The 30-year-old enters the bout on a three-fight losing skid, which includes a competitive championship fight loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in May 2024, a knockout loss to two-time title fight competitor Kai Kara-France at UFC 312 three months later, and a decision loss to multi-time champ Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico in March.

Despite his very difficult strength of schedule, Erceg believes he could be in a must-win situation, and plans on giving his all this weekend.

“Unfortunately, I’m on three losses and I could be fighting for my contract,” Erceg told MMA Fighting. “But, yeah, I think when you try to overthink and put too much on your plate, it can be detrimental.

“So I’m going to go out there and I’m going to punch another guy in the face, and if I win, I know I did everything I could to do so. If I [lose], that’s life, unfortunately.”

Erceg was thrust into his first UFC title fight with unbelievable quickness. The Perth-based flyweight picked up three quick wins, and less than a year with the promotion got the opportunity that most fighters wait their whole careers for.

There is certainly a vast difference in competition levels from the first three UFC opponents Erceg has faced compared to his most recent trio of opposition. With the latter, valuable lessons have been learned.

“Honestly, I think the biggest lesson is that I’m the man, I guess,” Erceg explained. “I’ve been looking at these guys like, ‘Oh, I’m fighting Moreno, I’m fighting Pantoza,’ and then, ‘Oh, they might know something I don’t know,’ or, ‘Oh, he’s fought five [rounds]’. I’m thinking of all these things about how great they are, and then I’m not giving myself the credit I deserve, I guess.

“So, going out there and going, ‘Oh, I think you’re getting tired,’ and instead of like… I’ll use an example [to] explain it better: In the Pantoja fight, for instance. The fourth round, I was like, ‘Oh, I think he’s getting tired. I should start pushing.’ I was like, he’s been in five round fights a lot. Maybe he’s saving something. Maybe I shouldn’t blow my load and risk getting finished over the top of back, whereas now it’ll be like, ‘No, he is getting tired, screw this guy, let’s break him.’ That’s how I’m trying to look at things.”

Much like the road Erceg has been on over the past 15 months, getting to UFC Vegas 109 has been bumpy. Originally slated to face fellow past title challenger Alex Perez, Erceg was shifted to a bout with Hyun Sung Park – who ended up getting shifted to the UFC Vegas 108 main event where he was submitted by Tatsuro Taira, a fight Erceg was offered, but had to turn down.

Now Erceg faces Osbourne, a dynamic and aggressive fighter with finishing ability. From a stylistic perspective, Erceg feels he couldn’t have asked for a better opponent to get him back on track, and predicts the headlines will read as such.

“It’ll be something similar to the way people are talking about Taira this week,” Erceg said. “Future UFC champion in the making, blah blah blah.”