Gable Steveson recaps UFC 329 debut: 'I wanted him to feel pain'

Gable Steveson wanted Elisha Ellison to quit at UFC 329.

The Olympic gold medalist stopped Ellison via TKO at 2:31 of the first round in his UFC debut Saturday night in Las Vegas, outlanding his opponent 41-14 in total strikes. Steveson entered as one of the heaviest betting favorites in UFC history and validated those odds with a dominant performance in the heavyweight clash.

Steveson's game plan: pressure and pain

"See, I wanted Elisha Ellison to feel that pressure; I wanted him to feel pain," Steveson told reporters after the win, per Sherdog. "I wanted to go out there and make him quit. And I knew when Elisha Ellison got hit hard, he would fall down. And he did fall down."

The two-time NCAA Division I champion has now finished all four of his MMA bouts by first-round knockout. Steveson won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in freestyle wrestling before transitioning to mixed martial arts.

No announcement has been made on when Steveson will return to the Octagon.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Gable Steveson recaps UFC 329 victory: ‘I wanted him to feel pain’