UFC 295: Stephen Erceg reveals Alex Volkanovski inspiration ahead of blockbuster showdown

Alex Volkanovski always knew Stephen Erceg was destined for big things, and now Erceg has revealed how the featherweight champ inspires him ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

Alex Volkanovski knew Stephen Erceg was special long before the Perth-based flyweight received a UFC call-up.

Almost two years before Erceg was signed by the UFC, Volk was telling people to keep an eye out for the rising local talent.

He even sent words of encouragement in 2021 as Erceg made waves on the domestic scene.

“I remember watching him back then, he was in an incredible fight in Eternal,” Volkanovski said. “He had a high skill level and I could see that he had a big future.”

Receiving that message from the featherweight champion was a huge vote of confidence for Erceg, who this weekend fights Alessandro Costa at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.

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In Volkanovski, Erceg has a role model, an inspiration and an example of how Aussies can make it big in the UFC.

“I aspire to be as tough as that guy,” Erceg said. “He’s technically amazing, mentally tough and the way he carries himself, he’s just a good role model for me.

“If I can be put in the same breath as him one day, it would be amazing.”

Erceg will have the biggest fight of his career so far on Sunday. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Erceg, 28, has largely watched Volkanovski’s career from afar but picked the champ’s brains during a training session when Volkanovski was in Perth for UFC 284 in February.

The night before Volkanovski fought Islam Makhachev for the first time, Erceg scored a first-round submission win on an Eternal card, which earned him his UFC contract.

Erceg has always had big ambitions but that week proved that his hopes weren’t just a pipe dream.

“That was the closest I’ve ever been to how accessible it is,” he said. “When Volk fought in Perth, that was when I was like, ‘Man, we can really do this. Us Aussies are tough and it’s not that far away.’

“That was a really big breakthrough for me.”

Erceg won his UFC debut as a late-notice replacement against David Dvorak in June and was immediately installed at 14th in the flyweight rankings.

He wants to use his fight this weekend against Costa, who is also a late-notice replacement after Matt Schnell pulled out, to make a run at the top of the division next year.

That’s the same kind of ambition Volkanovski had in the first two years of his own UFC career.

“The language used to be a bit different and it was just guys wanting to get into the UFC – that was mainly the conversation in the early days,” Volkanovski said.

“Now we’re showing with guys like Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya and myself, and all the fighters in the rankings, we’re doing it.

Alex Volkanovski is showing all Aussie fighters how to do it. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

“Back then, I was saying that I wasn’t happy just to make the UFC, I wanted to hit the top. And I’m not a cocky guy, so I’m saying it in the most polite way possible, but I was picturing myself as champ back then.

“It’s going to be a trend on this side of the world.”

While Erceg is preparing for his second UFC fight this weekend, Volkanovski has locked in his next featherweight title defence against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on February 18 (Australian time).

The fight doesn’t have a venue yet but Erceg wants in.

“I want to fight three times next year, maybe four times depending on how things pan out,” he said.

“I want to be active and I want to get to a title as fast as possible.

“So I would love to fight in February. I would love to be on that card with him (Volkanovski).

“I’m aiming big.”

Originally published as UFC 295: Stephen Erceg reveals Alex Volkanovski inspiration ahead of blockbuster showdown