Gable Steveson, arguably one of the most impressive combat sports prospects in recent memory, made his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut this past Saturday in Las Vegas at UFC 329 and didn’t disappoint. The 26-year-old only needed 151 seconds to defeat Elisha Ellison by KO. Steveson, who briefly competed in the WWE, is 4-0 in MMA and has not allowed an opponent to get out of the first round.
Raised in Apple Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Steveson was the 2020 Summer Olympics gold medalist in the 275-pound freestyle wrestling division and two-time NCAA Division I national champion for the University of Minnesota.
Former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, whom many close followers of the sport place as the greatest MMA fighter of all time, was in Steveson’s corner. Those familiar with Jones’ fighting style could recognize his influence on Steveson, particularly Steveson landing crushing kicks to open the contest.
“I’ve got great mentors in my corner,” Steveson said when asked about the impact of Jones. “With the athleticism that I have, I can pull off a lot of things that Jon did. But with the height that I have (listed at 6’1”), my explosiveness can get me to that point to close that distance a lot. Jon shows me what Jon knows best. He knows my body style, he knows what I can do, and he knows what I’m going to do — because I don’t think there’s anything I can’t do.”
The confident Steveson now has his sights set on the so-called World’s Most Famous Arena.
“MSG would be amazing,” he shared. “To go out there in Madison Square Garden, the last time I was in MSG, Jon Jones spinning back kicked Stipe (Miocic in November 2024) so it would be cool to keep that legacy going in Madison Square Garden.”
In the main event of UFC 329, Conor McGregor, one of the most popular MMA competitors ever, who had not fought since July 2021, suffered a devastating knee injury in the first two seconds of his clash with Max Holloway. The referee stopped the fight after 69 seconds.
Boxing returns to New York City when two Brooklynites battle at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on July 26. Puerto Rican power puncher Edgar Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) looks to get back into the win column when he faces Steven Butler (38-5-1, 32 KOs) of Montreal, Canada, in a 10-round super middleweight battle. Berlanga last fought in July 2025 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, where he fell in an upset to Hamzah Sheeraz via a fifth-round knockout.
Another Brooklyn native, undefeated former super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs), will take on Mexican Ricardo Salas (24-2-2, 18 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight contest. Hitchins will move up to 147 pounds. He was a late scratch in his IBF super lightweight title defense against Óscar Duarte in February due to an undisclosed illness.
