The debut everyone has been waiting for arrived at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday, as Olympic gold medalist and heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson made his promotional debut, taking on Elisha Ellison.
After a brief stop in the WWE following his amateur wrestling career, Steveson had put together a 3-0 record in MMA. Still green in the sport (even with an extra, stand-up rules fight in Dirty Boxing), but taking on Elisha Ellison, a 5-2 heavyweight who was 0-1 in the UFC himself.
Not rushed to the top, in other words, but big things were still expected of Gable Steveson, who has trained with the likes of Jon Jones.
Steveson started the fight with a body kick and a right hand. He came out throwing kicks early, mixing in a few nice teeps to the body. He shot for a takedown, but Ellison defended with a guillotine attempt. During an exchange, Steveson appeared to rock Ellison and chased after him with punches, though he ate a clean elbow in return.
Steveson kept a relentless pace, continuing to land teeps to the midsection. He dropped Ellison in another exchange, and those front kicks to the body were clearly taking their toll. Ellison showed plenty of toughness, hanging in there and perhaps hoping Steveson would slow down.
Steveson never did. He hurt Ellison again with a lunging left hand and kept the pressure on against the cage. A barrage of punches and knees eventually sent Ellison to the canvas, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.
That’s exactly the debut that Gable Steveson was no doubt looking for: electrifying, a showcase for more than just his wrestling, and in the end, a finish.
Official Result: Gable Steveson def. Elisha Ellison by TKO (knees and punches), Round 1, 2:31
