Gable Steveson Faces Elisha Ellison in UFC 329 Debut on July 11

Gable Steveson will make his UFC debut against Elisha Ellison at UFC 329 on July 11, 2026, in Las Vegas during International Fight Week. The 25-year-old enters with a 3-0 MMA record after winning the 2020 Olympic gold medal in wrestling. Ellison holds a 5-2 record and lost his UFC debut in Perth in September 2025.

He has reached the second round only once in his career and was stopped in both of his defeats. Ellison said the matchup itself and the surrounding attention drew his interest. “I think the thing I was most excited about was the matchup itself and all the hype that Gable has,” he told MMA Junkie.

He outlined a plan built around Steveson’s wrestling background. “He’s a wrestler, so I think if he gets hit hard, he’s going to revert back to what his nature is, and that’s wrestling,” Ellison said. ” Ellison added that the bout remains a fight rather than a wrestling match.

“I mean, he’s an Olympic-level athlete. I can hit him and vice versa, which opens up a lot of space for many things,” he said. Steveson will compete before the UFC event.

He is scheduled to face Alexandr Romanov at the ninth edition of Real American Freestyle this weekend in Arlington, Texas. The card also includes Colby Covington, Chris Weidman, Merab Dvalishvili, Frankie Edgar and Arman Tsarukyan. com reported the matchup details and quoted Ellison on his preparation for the July 11 contest.