Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is set for a heavily hyped UFC debut, taking on Elisha Ellison on the UFC 329 prelims at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., July 11, 2026.
Steveson enters the Octagon with a 3-0 professional MMA record, all wins by first-round knockout, after transitioning from heavyweight wrestling to mixed martial arts. In his most recent MMA bout before signing with UFC, he stopped Hugo Lezama by first-round knockout.
The betting lines reflect massive expectations. Steveson is listed by some sportsbooks as high as -4000, making him the biggest betting favorite in UFC history according to the article.
“I got so many great people in my ear telling me I can be the best, but I believe in those words as much as they tell me those words and believe it themselves,” Steveson said ahead of UFC 329.
“So, it’s another day to show the world who I am and to show the next opponent what I can be and who they’ll face.”
“I measure success on Saturday night as a dominating victory — it has to be dominating,” he added. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to be the best thing ever. I have to go out there and beat Elisha Ellison in the worst way possible that he could never think of. I don’t want him to fight again.”
