Croatian Ivan Erslan makes his UFC debut

Ivan Erslan enters the ring (gol.dnevnik.hr/screenshot)

After more than eight years, a Croatian has fought on the roster of the world’s premier MMA organisation, the UFC.

Croatian Ivan Erslan made his UFC debut tonight at UFC Fight Night in Paris, where he faced Ion Cuțelaba.

After three rounds the Croatian lost a split decision with the judges scoring the fight 28–29, 29–28, 29–28 in favour of the Moldovan.

Round 1

Shown live on gol.dnevnik.hr in Croatia, Erslan started the fight cautiously, waiting for Cuțelaba to make the first move. After 40 seconds, Erslan threw his first meaningful strike, landing it cleanly.

Cuțelaba responded with a spinning strike, knocking Erslan back, but without causing much damage. As the fight moved into the second minute, the first serious exchange of strikes occurred, though neither fighter landed a decisive blow.

Erslan defended a takedown midway through the round, continuing to keep the fight on the feet. In the final two minutes, Cuțelaba landed a solid shot, putting Erslan on the canvas, though the Croatian fighter quickly got back to his feet.

Soon after, Cuțelaba secured a takedown, but Erslan swiftly returned to his feet, and the pair ended up clinching against the cage. Erslan landed a combination with 30 seconds left, but nothing significant enough to change the momentum.

(gol.dnevnik.hr/screenshot)

Round 2

The second round started more slowly, with neither fighter landing meaningful attacks in the first minute until Erslan connected with a strong shot.

Cuțelaba smiled, acknowledging the impact. Serious exchanges began again in the second minute, and Erslan managed to land several clean strikes. Midway through the round, Cuțelaba scored another takedown, taking Erslan’s back. He briefly attempted a choke, but Erslan escaped and got to his feet with a minute and a half remaining. Cuțelaba scored yet another takedown, but 30 seconds before the end of the round, Erslan reversed the position, though Cuțelaba managed to close out the round on top.

Round 3

Aware that he needed a finish in the final round, Erslan secured a takedown and achieved top position early on, creating the potential for significant damage. However, Cuțelaba defended well from the bottom, and Erslan struggled to land serious strikes.

Midway through the round, Cuțelaba attempted to stand, but Erslan reacted quickly, taking side control. Despite this advantageous position, Erslan was unable to inflict significant damage, and Cuțelaba managed to stand up again with a minute and a half left. Instead of pressing for a finish on the feet, Erslan chose to take the fight back to the ground.

(gol.dnevnik.hr/screenshot)

It seemed as though Erslan was unaware of the need to finish the fight by knockout or submission. He focused on controlling the round but not enough to secure victory. Cuțelaba reversed the situation at one point and controlled the final moments of the fight, even securing a takedown five seconds before the end, which sealed his win by unanimous decision.

The judges’ scorecards offered a slight surprise, with one judge giving the fight to Erslan, but it wasn’t enough. Two judges awarded the bout to Cuțelaba, who deservedly celebrated the victory.

The last time Croatia had a male fighter in the UFC was at UFC Fight Night 86 in Zagreb Arena, when Filip Pejić fought Damian Stasiak.

Croatian fighters who have competed under the banner of the UFC include Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipović, Igor Pokrajac, Goran Reljić, and Filip Pejić. American fighters of Croatian descent, Pat Miletich and Stipe Miocic, have also made a significant impact in the UFC octagon.

Erslan now continues the tradition of Croatian fighters, proudly representing Croatia on the biggest stage of the fighting world, alongside Croatian female fighter Ivana Petrović.

You can see the fight here