Gable Steveson reflected on his successful Octagon debut at UFC
329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

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Ultimate Fighting Championship newcomer Gable
Steveson wanted Elisha
Ellison to feel “pressure†and “pain†at
UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

The U.S. Olympic gold medalist wrestler finished the fight against
Ellison via TKO at the 2:31 mark of their heavyweight clash at UFC
329. Following his debut Octagon win, Steveson discussed his
intentions going into the bout.

Gable Steveson's UFC debut ends with first-round TKO win over
Elisha Ellison

Steveson went into the contest as one of the biggest betting
favorites in UFC history. His performance reflected as much, as he
put away Ellison in the opening round. He out-landed his opponent
41-14 in total strikes.

“See, I wanted Elisha Ellison to feel that pressure; I wanted him
to feel pain. I wanted to go out there and make him quit,†Steveson
said after his win. “And I knew when Elisha Ellison got hit hard,
he would fall down. And he did fall down.â€

Steveson is already one of the most decorated wrestlers in U.S.
history, with two NCAA Division I titles in addition to his gold
medal at the Tokyo Olympics. All four of his MMA victories have
come through first-round knockout.

“When Gable
Steveson walks out, it’s a show.â€

Gable
Steveson reflects about his UFC debut and what fans can expect
from him moving froward. #UFC329

Complete Prelim Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/zJYzZphBW3 pic.twitter.com/ujIbPGwnOH

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 12, 2026

Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Merab
Dvalishvili mounted a fairytale comeback in front of his home
fans at RAF Georgia.

Dvalishvili took on Henry
Cejudo in a wrestling match at RAF Georgia. Cejudo took an
early 8-0 lead with a dominant gut wrench and appeared to be on his
way to a clear win. However, Dvalishvili came from behind in the
second period to close the gap to 8-5.

“The Machine†then sent the Georgian crowd into a frenzy as he
ultimately defeated Cejudo 11-8 on points.

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo wrestling match delivers
dramatic comeback in Georgia

Dvalishvili had also defeated Cejudo via a unanimous decision in
their UFC clash in 2024. He won the UFC bantamweight title in his
next outing and defended it thrice before losing to Petr Yan at

UFC 323 this past December.

Cejudo retired from MMA on a four-fight slump following a loss to
Payton
Talbott on the same card. “Triple C†defeated fellow UFC
veteran Urijah Faber
in his RAF debut this past February before losing to Dvalishvili.
Meanwhile, Dvalishvili was coming off a victory over Frankie
Edgar in his RAF debut this past May.

Merab
Dvalishvili just came back from an 8-0 deficit to defeat
Henry
Cejudo in his hometown at RAF Georgia 🤯

WHAT A MATCH!pic.twitter.com/7U4zkQcHE3

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
July 11, 2026

Gable Steveson has revealed what he told Daniel Cormier following his big UFC debut.

Steveson shared the Octagon with Elisha Ellison on the preliminary portion of UFC 329 this past Saturday. The Olympic gold medalist continued his streak of first-round knockouts by stopping Ellison inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Steveson was in harm's way on his journey to victory, and many agree that he'll need to work on his defense.

Steveson's training with UFC legend Jon Jones also paid dividends, as he showcased some of his mentor's signature side kicks to the legs. While Jones had a well documented rivalry with Cormier, Steveson admires “DC.†The University of Minnesota alum spoke on his post-fight conversation with Cormier during the UFC 329 media scrum.

“As people know, I'm a big DC fan also,†Steveson said. “I went over to him and I told him, ‘No takedowns were necessary for this win,†and he congratulated me. As you know, DC's a big wrestler just like me. A guy that goes out there and can shoot a lot of shots, just like myself also.â€

For those who are concerned that Steveson will abandon his wrestling in favor of his developing striking, the decorated Olympian promises that he will use his grappling in the future.

“As time goes on, I'll take those shots, and take guys down, and make sure they stay down,†Steveson said.

Steveson is now 4-0 in his pro MMA career. His bout with Ellison was the second longest of his prizefighting career up to this point. Steveson can celebrate winning his promotional debut, but the question soon becomes who will he be matched up against next?

What did you make of Gable Steveson's UFC debut? Can he eventually live up to the hype, or will he get chinned by higher level strikers? Let us know what you think in the comments below.