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€

Tom Aspinall insists he is ready to step back inside the Octagon.

Aspinall has had his gripes with the UFC brass, but perhaps things have simmered down. The reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion recently posted a video on his YouTube page where he reacted to Conor McGregor's knee injury during the UFC 329 show closer. In the video, Aspinall revealed that he's simply waiting on a date for his next fight.

“Listen, we've let the UFC know that we're ready to go, and we're just waiting for dates,†Aspinall said. “Literally, we told them we can do it in Paris. We told them they can do it wherever they want. So, we're just waiting for them to let us know.â€

If Aspinall is indeed ready to sign on for his return to the Octagon, he would have a title unification rematch against Ciryl Gane waiting for him. It was the first meeting with “Bon Gamin†that led to Aspinall getting sidelined due to a double eye poke. The bout result was ruled a no contest, and Aspinall had to undergo multiple eye procedures to correct his vision problems.

In the meantime, Aspinall has signed a talent agency deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom. Hearn and UFC CEO Dana White have been at odds over Zuffa's entry in the boxing world. Aspinall inked the deal after publicly criticizing White for his comments after his eye injury. The heavyweight titleholder believes that he was made to look like he had a choice whether or not to continue fighting Gane.

Hearn also made the claim that he won't allow Aspinall to fight under the terms of his current UFC contract. The war of words have continued to heat up, but White recently told reporters during the UFC 329 post-fight presser that he doesn't hate Hearn.

Gane earned his rematch with the Salford native after he stopped Alex Pereira in the second round of their UFC Freedom 250 co-main event on the White House lawn. Gane earned his second interim UFC heavyweight title as a result.

Are we finally on the verge of seeing Tom Aspinall return, or do you think there will be another roadblock? Sound off in the comments below.