UFC CEO Dana White is shedding some light on what Gable Steveson’s Octagon debut could look like.
Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time Division I champion wrestler, signed with the premier MMA promotion earlier in April. He’s scheduled to make his debut at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
Though the 25-year-old is widely considered a potential future UFC champion, White indicated Saturday that the promotion won’t throw Steveson into the deep end of the heavyweight division right away.
“I don’t know if we go after a top-15 guy,” White told theScore at the UFC Winnipeg postfight press conference.
“I say this to you guys all the time: The UFC jitters are real. Walking in – I don’t care how you’ve competed or where or what you’ve done. When you come here, it’s a different level. Like I said earlier tonight, our matchmakers are the best in the business. We’ll figure him out and get him the right fight … at what we think his level is and what we think he’s capable of.”
Steveson made his professional MMA debut last September and holds a 3-0 record, all first-round finishes. Most recently, he defeated Hugo Lezama at a Mexico Fight League event in February.
Steveson transitioned to MMA following a three-year career in WWE and a brief stint with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills during the 2024 preseason.