Gable Steveson said he would welcome a fight with Josh Hokit. |
📷: Getty/UFC

After a dominant win in his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, Gable
Steveson has responded to Josh Hokit's
trash talk.

Steveson defeated Elisha
Ellison at
UFC 329, extending his professional record to 4-0 and recording
his fourth straight first-round finish. Hokit, who's emerged as one
of the most polarizing figures in the UFC, has issued threats to
Steveson and his mentor, Jon Jones,
drawing a reaction from the Olympian.

Gable Steveson responds to Josh Hokit after dominant UFC 329
victory

Hokit took to X to share a clip from one of Steveson's pre-fight
interviews wherein the latter questioned the former's skills. “The
Incredible Hok†listed his many athletic achievements before
suggesting that both Steveson and Jones steer clear of him.

“Remember, this ain't wrestling,†Hokit wrote on X. “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.â€

Steveson responded at the UFC 329 post-fight presser, claiming that
he and Hokit have contrasting priorities.

“Like I said, I like Josh as a fighter,†Steveson 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.â€

Chael Sonnen says you can stick a fork in Conor McGregor: He’s
done. | 📷: Jason Burgos/Sherdog

Chael
Sonnen believes Conor
McGregor's
Ultimate Fighting Championship career took a major hit
following the anticlimactic loss to Max
Holloway at
UFC 329.

McGregor suffered a knee injury seconds into his rematch with
Holloway. He then wasn't able to find stability and repeatedly fell
while attempting strikes, prompting the referee to stop the bout.
With the Irishman's last two main events ending in unfortunate
injuries, Sonnen questions whether he can headline another
card.

‘You cannot main event him': Chael Sonnen on Conor
McGregor

In McGregor's last outing prior to UFC 329, he suffered a leg break
in his trilogy fight against Dustin
Poirier in 2021. A lengthy stint on the sidelines ensued before
the Holloway rematch came together. According to Sonnen, there were
no takeaways from the former two-division champ's return.

“It was one of these things where there was nothing to take away
from it,†Sonnen told MMA Junkie after the fight. “There
was no redeemable quality. I think Conor mentally was in the right
spot, but the contest is physical.â€

Sonnen then outlined other examples of big stars on losing streaks
looking to headline upon their returns, including Chuck
Liddell, Brock
Lesnar and Anderson
Silva. He claims UFC CEO Dana
White might not be keen on another McGregor main event.

“If you were to take [a serious injury] away, if we were to say,
‘Boy, we got lucky, in fact, a step further, the [doctor]
misdiagnosed this, he’s completely fine.’ We don’t see him fight
again,†Sonnen added. “You cannot main event him. You cannot
repackage and sell this story, nor would they be interested. Chuck
Liddell was very close friends with Dana White. Brock Lesnar just
wanted to do it again. Anderson Silva said, ‘Hey, put me in one
more time.’ Dana does not give back on that.â€

Conor McGregor's coach has weighed-in on the outcome at UFC 329.
| 📷: Getty/UFC

Conor
McGregor's coach, John
Kavanagh, has squashed rumors of a pre-existing injury going
into the
Ultimate Fighting Championship star's Octagon return at

UFC 329.

McGregor rematched Max
Holloway in the main event of UFC 329, but injured his knee in
the opening sequence. After he struggled to stay upright, the
referee stopped the bout, leading to an anticlimactic conclusion to
the fight card.

John Kavanagh details McGregor's injury after comeback fight
ends early

Kavanagh took to Facebook to discuss McGregor's injury following
the defeat to Holloway at UFC 329. The former two-division
champion's longtime coach shed light on the post-fight mood and
reiterated McGregor's claim that he wasn't injured going into the
bout.

“Devastated,†the
SBG Ireland head coach wrote in a Facebook post (via ESPN). “That opening jump switch kick was
drilled daily for months, multiple times in warmup. Never an issue.
Knee went when he [threw] the very first kick. Doesn’t get any
worse than this. Looking forward to seeing my family in a few
days.â€

McGregor is yet to reveal the extent of his injury. UFC CEO

Dana White shared that he suspects a torn ACL and was also
quick to shut down claims of a pre-existing injury at the
post-fight presser.