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.
‼️ Gable Steveson wanted to prove he didn’t need his Olympic wrestling to win his UFC debut.
“I’m a huge Daniel Cormier fan, and I told him I didn’t need to use my wrestling.
I wanted to show my striking this time, but don’t be surprised if I mix things up in the future.”
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“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.”
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.
