Former UFC flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg looks to inch himself one step closer to another crack at the championship belt when he tangles with dangerous power puncher Ramazan Temirov in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Abu Dhabi on Saturday at Etihad Arena.
Both fighters come in at -115 according to current UFC odds, but I’m favoring the size and experience of “Astroboy” to be the deciding factor in my Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov predictions and free betting picks for July 25.
Who will win Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov: Erceg moneyline (-115)
A lengthy layoff due to suspension feels very concerning to me for Ramazan Temirov.
We are used to seeing athletes occasionally get popped for banned substances, but never for heart medication. Either he actually needs heart medication, which would be very concerning for a UFC fighter set to compete at a hard pace for 15 minutes, or he was flat-out cheating to gain an advantage.
He now returns after a 17-month layoff against Steve Erceg, who aside from being the more experienced fighter at this level, is also four inches taller and will enjoy a five-inch reach advantage.
Temirov could land one of his patented heavy shots and out Erceg away, but that’s too big of an ask for me given the circumstances.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov best bet: Erceg wins by decision (+180)
I’m genuinely an Erceg fan, but despite his fights being highly entertaining, he is by no means a finisher. In five UFC wins, he’s managed to stop just one opponent, that being a TKO win over Matt Schnell, who has been stopped in all nine of his UFC losses.
Erceg has landed over 100 significant strikes three times in his career, including 136 in his most recent outing versus Tim Elliot in May, but just never seems to be able to hurt his opponents. The good news is that that type of volume striking should serve him well against Temirov, who relies heavily on his power shots and is prone to being outworked.
Temirov has only ever been finished once in his 21-fight career, and that was almost seven years ago, so durability has never been an issue.
COVERS INTEL: All three of Erceg’s UFC losses have been to former champions or title challengers, and he’s only ever been finished once in 18-career fights.Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov odds
 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Method of Victory | Steve Erceg | Ramazan Temirov |
| To win outright | -115 | -115 |
| To win by KO/TKO | +875 | +205 |
| To win by decision | +180 | +290 |
| To win by submission | +875 | +1900 |
| Total rounds | Over 2.5 -190 |
Under 2.5 +145 |
Odds as of 7-24.
The fact that this is a flyweight fight, in Abu Dhabi, versus a possible cheater, doesn’t get my confidence flowing. I will play the Erceg moneyline at -115, and would consider playing it up until -130, but this could be dangerous due to the unknowns.
The decision prop at +180 is definitely the move to improve on that value, and I would be willing to play that as low as +135 if it went in that direction.
Bet on the UFC at BET99!
One of Canada's best sportsbooks for UFC betting, join BET99 and get up to $800 bonus bets back if your first bet doesn’t win when using our BET99 promo code COVERS99
*Not available in Ontario
Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov tale of the tape
| Steve Erceg | Ramazan Temirov | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Age | 29 |
| 5-foot-8 | Height | 5-foot-4 |
| Flyweight | Weight Class | Flyweight |
| 68 inches | Reach | 63 inches |
| 14-4 | Record | 19-3 |
| 2 | Wins by KO | 11 |
| 6 | Wins by submission | 1 |
After nearly defeating then-champion Alexander Pantoja in 2024, Erceg has quietly built himself back up, winning his last two fights.
Temirov returns to the cage for the first time in 17 months following a suspension due to banned heart medication. He faces a four-inch height disadvantage and five-inch reach disadvantage to go with the ring rust.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
