Gable Steveson vows to dominate Elisha Ellison at UFC 329 debut

Gable Steveson wants his UFC debut to be remembered for the wrong reasons — at least if you're his opponent.

The Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion faces Elisha Ellison on the UFC 329 prelims Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and he's making no effort to downplay his intentions. "I have to go out there and beat Elisha Ellison in the worst way possible that he could never think of," Steveson told UFC.com during media day. "I don't want him to fight again."

Steveson enters UFC 329 as historic betting favorite

The 26-year-old brings a 3-0 professional record into the octagon, with all three wins coming by first-round knockout. His most recent performance saw him stop the more experienced Hugo Lezama, per MMA Mania, and oddsmakers believe Saturday will follow the same script. Some sportsbooks have installed Steveson as a -4000 favorite, reportedly making him the biggest betting favorite in UFC history.

Steveson said his standard for success goes beyond simply getting his hand raised. "I measure success on Saturday night as a dominating victory — it has to be dominating," he said. "It doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesn't have to be the best thing ever." The former Minnesota standout added that his confidence comes from both internal belief and external validation, telling UFC.com he's got "so many great people in my ear telling me I can be the best, but I believe in those words as much as they tell me those words."

UFC 329 goes down Saturday night in Las Vegas, with Steveson's heavyweight debut serving as part of the prelims ahead of the Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 main event.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC 329’s Gable Steveson vows to beat Elisha Ellison ‘in the worst way possible’ – ‘I don’t want him to fight again’