Game Thread XXXIV: Royals at Mariners
Royals look for road sweep against Mariners in Game Thread XXXIV

Steve Erceg defeated Tim Elliott by decision at UFC Perth, engaging in playful banter during the fight. The two exchanged comments about eye pokes while grappling, highlighting the competitive spirit of the match.
Steve Erceg had fun while he took on veteran Tim Elliott.
Erceg battled on Elliott in front of his home crowd at UFC Perth on Saturday, where he picked up a hard-fought decision. Mid-match, Elliott could be heard shouting after landing a takedown. Erceg recently revealed his mid-fight exchange with Elliott. Elliott was grinding his chin on Ercegās eye after taking him down. As Erceg tried to get separation, Elliott accused the Australian of poking him in the eye. When Erceg accused Elliott of the same, the 39-year-old playfully proffered to him that grinding with his chin is not a foulāunder the Unified Rules, an illegal eye gouge can occur from the fingers, elbow or chin. Erceg remarked in his post-fight interview:
āHe took me down in the first round. He's putting his chin in my eye,ā Erceg rehashed. āIām trying to get his chin off my eye cause it f---ing hurt. And he goes, āHeās poking me in the eye.ā Iām like, āYouāre f---ing poking me in the eye.ā He goes, āChinās legal, motherf---er.ā Iām like, āHere we go, weāre in a fight, thatās what weāre here for.ā It was just fun all around.ā
After surviving adversity on the ground in the first round, Erceg went on to box up his opponent to get the nod on all three scorecards. While Erceg trusts his gas tank, he knew Elliott could not keep up with him. Erceg notes that while he picked his intensity as the bout progressed, Elliott moved around with frantic energy, which may be difficult to maintain for 15 minutes. The Aussie noted:
āThe performance is what made it better⦠He moves so much. Doesnāt matter how fit he is. Iām so fit. And even if he was slightly fitter than me, like if we went for a run. He is moving twice or three times the amount Iām moving. Iām pacing, Iām waiting for my spots. He canāt keep that up forever. After a couple of those scrambles, he got up, I saw him panting, I was like, āHere we go, the ball starts rolling, Iām coming,āā Erceg explained.
Crashing into the UFC in 2023 to pick up three wins and a title shot the next year, Erceg (14-4) subsequently fell on a three-fight slump. āAstro Boyā has since rebounded with back-to-back decision wins over Ode Osbourne and Elliott. Meanwhile, Elliott (21-14) was coming off finishes over Su Mudaerji and Kai Asakura going into his clash against Erceg.
Steve Erceg described his mid-fight banter with Tim Elliott, where they joked about eye pokes while grappling, emphasizing the fun aspect of their competitive exchange.
Steve Erceg won the fight against Tim Elliott by decision, showcasing his boxing skills after overcoming early challenges on the ground.
The banter highlighted the competitive nature of the fight and showcased the camaraderie and sportsmanship that can exist even in intense matchups.
Royals look for road sweep against Mariners in Game Thread XXXIV
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