TLDR
- Gable Steveson knocked out Elisha Ellison in 2:31 of the first round at UFC 329 on Saturday night
- The 26-year-old Olympic gold medalist improved his MMA record to 4-0 with his fourth knockout victory
- Ellison landed 14 strikes and stuffed a takedown attempt before being stopped with knees and punches
- Steveson entered the fight as the biggest betting favorite on the entire UFC 329 card
- UFC legend Jon Jones served as one of Steveson’s cornermen for his successful debut
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson earned his first UFC victory Saturday night with a brutal first-round knockout of Elisha Ellison at UFC 329. The heavyweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ended at 2:31 of the opening round.
Steveson entered the fight as the biggest betting favorite on the entire card. The 26-year-old lived up to expectations by stopping Ellison with a combination of knees and punches.
“Time will tell [where I stand],” Steveson said after the fight. “I’m a great athlete, I’m a great person. I can go out there and do special things, as you can see.”
Ellison Provided Early Resistance
The fight was not completely one-sided despite Steveson’s status as a heavy favorite. Ellison came out aggressive and landed 14 strikes during the brief contest.
Ellison also stuffed Steveson’s only takedown attempt with a choke attempt. He tagged the Olympic champion with several clean shots early in the fight.
WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW 👏
Gable Steveson makes the most of his UFC debut with a RD1 knockout!
[ #UFC329 is LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VWrX1QIdf3
— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2026
Steveson absorbed the strikes and continued pressing forward. He mixed various kicks, clinch knees to the head and body, and looping hooks at a high pace.
The referee briefly paused the action after Steveson landed a low front kick. After the restart, Steveson went back to work and finished the fight with knees from the Thai clinch and big punches along the fence.
Background on the Olympic Champion
Steveson is one of the most decorated wrestlers of his generation. He won two NCAA Division I national championships and two Dan Hodge Trophy awards during his college career.
The Dan Hodge Trophy is given annually to collegiate athletics’ top freestyle wrestler. At the 2020 Olympic Games, Steveson became the youngest freestyle wrestler in his division to win gold at just 21 years old.
Steveson made his professional MMA debut in September with a first-round knockout of Braden Petersen. He then competed in Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing promotion, where he knocked out Billy Swanson in 15 seconds in October.
He followed that with a 24-second knockout of Kevin Hein in late November. Steveson started 2026 with another first-round stoppage of Hugo Lezama in Mexico City in February.
Before committing to MMA full-time, Steveson had brief stints with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and WWE. He has trained extensively with UFC legend Jon Jones, who served as one of his cornermen on Saturday night.
Steveson cited Jones as his primary mentor in MMA. The training relationship showed during the fight as Steveson displayed a diverse striking game.
The victory improved Steveson’s professional MMA record to 4-0. All four of his wins have come by knockout.
Ellison dropped to 5-3 in his professional career. The fight took place on the preliminary card of UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
