While a lot of the eye at UFC 329 centered round Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return in opposition to Max Holloway, one other extremely anticipated debut might have launched the UFC’s subsequent heavyweight contender.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson introduced his arrival within the UFC heavyweight division Saturday night time, stopping Elisha Ellison within the first spherical earlier than the night time’s blockbuster important occasion. The victory improved Steveson to 4-0 as an expert blended martial artist after opening his profession with three consecutive knockout wins throughout the MFL and LFA.
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Steveson Shows Off His Complete Skill Set
Steveson entered the Octagon with some of the embellished wrestling backgrounds in fight sports activities, however it was his placing that stole the highlight.
From the opening seconds, Steveson fought with the boldness of a seasoned striker, pushing the tempo whereas flashing the athleticism that made him one of many world’s high heavyweight wrestlers. Rather than instantly leaning on his elite grappling, he blended collectively punches and kicks to maintain Ellison on the defensive.
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The end got here after Steveson landed a clear knee to the pinnacle that visibly rocked Ellison. Sensing the second, he adopted with one other crushing knee that despatched Ellison crashing to the canvas. With Ellison unable to recuperate, the referee instantly stepped in and waved off the competition, giving Steveson one other first-round knockout victory.
The dominant efficiency immediately introduced Steveson as one of many UFC’s most intriguing new heavyweight prospects.
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Before transitioning to blended martial arts, Steveson constructed some of the spectacular novice wrestling resumes in latest reminiscence. He captured the lads’s freestyle 125-kilogram Olympic gold medal on the Tokyo Olympics and likewise established himself as some of the achieved heavyweight wrestlers in NCAA historical past.
His arrival additionally comes at an intriguing time for the UFC heavyweight division. Jon Jones has retired, undisputed champion Tom Aspinall stays on the sidelines awaiting his subsequent title protection, and Alex Pereira’s latest loss has cooled hypothesis a few blockbuster transfer within the division. That leaves the division coming into a brand new period with alternatives for rising contenders like Steveson to make their mark.
It’s far too early to position championship expectations on Steveson, however Saturday’s efficiency confirmed precisely why so many have been desirous to see him make the leap to the UFC. If he continues creating the placing he displayed in his debut whereas counting on his world-class wrestling basis, Steveson has all of the instruments to rapidly develop into one of many heavyweight division’s fastest-rising names.
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This story was initially printed by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2026, the place it first appeared within the MMA part. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.