Steve Erceg: Watch the shameful chant the UFC Australian is sure to be hit with when he fights for the world title in Brazil

Australian Steve Erceg hopes training at night in a car park will set him up for success when he faces Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight belt in Rio de Janeiro this weekend.

Erceg is only three fights into his UFC career, but his stunning performances over the past year mean he is just one win away from becoming world champion.

The odds are well and truly stacked against Erceg on Saturday night (Sunday EST).

Not only will the 27-year-old face the best UFC flyweight in the world, but he will also be greeted by a church crowd chanting “uh vai morrer,” which translates to “you’re going to die.”

Australian Steve Erceg (pictured) takes on Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight belt in Rio de Janeiro this weekend

The Western Australian prodigy (left) is just one win away from becoming world champion

“For every UFC event in Brazil, when you see foreigners withdrawing against a Brazilian, they get yelled at like that,” Erceg said from his base in Brazil.

Another tricky aspect that Erceg faces is the time of the fight, which will take place around 1 a.m. at the Farmasi Arena.

The West Australian has found a unique way to acclimatise: holding night training sessions in the car park of his Brazilian hotel for the past two weeks.

“We try to train around fight time, so we’ve been up pretty late,” Erceg said.

“We run five or six kilometers most of the time. And in front of the hotel there were no mats or anything, so (we use) punching mats outside the hotel every night.

“At first no one really seemed to bother us, then closer to the fight fans started arriving and taking more photos.

“It’s different now because the UFC staff is here, so we have real training rooms.

“But until yesterday we were in the parking lot.”

Erceg prepares to face notoriously hostile Brazilian crowd on Sunday

Erceg is six years younger than UFC champion Pantoja at 28, and he has a perfect record inside the Octagon at 3-0.

Life in Brazil has its dangers, and Erceg has seen firsthand how dangerous the Favelas can be.

“There were buildings on top of buildings,” he said.

“There was a street that was being blown up, and they said, ‘You can’t go up that street because there are armed people there.’

“We didn’t hear any shots, but apparently there were people around that we shouldn’t be looking for.”

Erceg couldn’t help but notice the flyweight belt when his showdown with Pantoja, 34, took place this week at the iconic Parque Bondinho Pao de Acucar.

“I looked at it briefly. It was much brighter than I expected,” said the Australian.

“The belt is like a nice souvenir to say what you have accomplished.

“But what I’m looking for is to be the toughest guy in the world. That’s why I started.

“Fighting and beating whoever people think is the toughest guy right now, that’s what matters most to me.”