Elisha Ellison is set to face Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in a heavyweight prelim at UFC 329. Steveson is making his promotional debut this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Ellison carries a professional record of 5-2 MMA, with a 0-1 UFC record entering the bout.
Steveson’s View on His Debut Opponent
Gable Steveson spoke about his upcoming opponent, Elisha Ellison, during a pre-fight news conference. Steveson described Ellison as a “perfect debut opponent for me.” He also stated, “All respect to Elisha for taking this matchup.”
Steveson affirmed his approach to all opponents, saying he treats everybody the same. He added that this applies “whether it’s Derrick Lewis or Josh Hokit, Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane.” Steveson mentioned that his matchup on Saturday is what he is looking forward to. He maintained that it doesn’t matter to him who the opponent is. Steveson stated, “I come to show up and do the best thing I ever possibly do, and that’s win. That’s all that matters to me.”
The Significant Odds Against Ellison
Elisha Ellison will step into the Octagon as a significant underdog against Gable Steveson. Steveson is a -2166 favourite on average across major online sportsbooks and prediction markets. These eye-popping odds were reported according to BestFightOdds.
Regardless of opponent, Steveson is treating all assignments the same, no matter the odds. He said this applies “whether it be Ellison or a UFC titleholder.”
As the fight approaches, Gable Steveson remains focused on his matchup on Saturday. He has stated his intent to win, regardless of who he faces.