Gable Steveson is already mapping out his heavyweight future after a dominant UFC debut at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
Steveson stopped Elisha Ellison inside one round in his first UFC appearance, then turned his attention to potential opponents and his preferred stage for what comes next.
"But right now, today I’ll enjoy this victory. Monday, I’ll be back in the gym. I’ll wait for my next call and hopefully it’s [Madison Square Garden], and if it isn’t, we’ll be back before that," Steveson said.
Heavyweight prospect Josh Hokit, an under-30 top-10 contender after four UFC fights, fired back on social media after Steveson’s comments about him. "Remember, this ain’t wrestling," Hokit wrote, later adding, "If anyone signs up to face me in a fist fight, better have a good insurance policy. It will take your doctor time to put your face back together, unless you quit like the last guy I fought. This includes the guy [Jon Jones] that trains you. I’m the baddest man on the planet."
Steveson responded by acknowledging Hokit's profile while backing his own approach. "Like I said, I like Josh as a fighter," he said. "Josh is a character. Josh wants to make sure people follow him on Instagram or follow him on Twitter. I go out there and dominate. I go out there and win. So if the time comes with Josh, if he doesn’t move down before that, so be it, will make it happen."
Steveson also has his eye on interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane, who secured his belt with a knockout over Alex Pereira at UFC White House. "Ciryl Gane’s a great fighter, a fantastic fighter," Steveson said. "He’s one of my favorite fighters in the heavyweight division. Of course, he’s a target. He has something that a lot of people want, but today I’ll take my win. I’ll take my victory and I keep moving it slow. Ciryl Gane is in the foreseeable future, but he’s not in the next fight, and I’ll worry about the next fight and then after that, I’ll worry about the next one."
