Gable Steveson addresses potential fight against Josh Hokit, advises him moving to 205 pounds ‘would be a great decision’

Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson is preparing for his UFC heavyweight debut at UFC 329 against Elisha Ellison and already has his sights on the division's top contenders, though he diplomatically addressed potential matchups with fellow prospect Josh Hokit.

Steveson, who counts UFC legend Jon Jones among his primary coaches and mentors, enters the octagon as one of the most hyped prospects in recent UFC history. During UFC 329 media day, he acknowledged he's monitoring the heavyweight landscape closely, including names like Ciryl Gane, Tom Aspinall, and Hokit. However, his immediate focus remains on Saturday's debut performance.

Hokit, who parlayed an All-American wrestling background at Fresno State into an MMA career, has become one of the UFC's most talked-about heavyweight prospects, known for both his wrestling pedigree and his unconventional personality. The two fighters share coaching ties through Greg Jackson and the New Mexico training community, which occasionally sparks speculation about a future matchup. Steveson, though, dismissed any conflict of interest, praising Hokit's approach: "What he's doing is great for him. The character work is working for him. Applause for him making it work."

When directly asked about a potential fight with Hokit, Steveson showed no hesitation. However, he suggested that Hokit might better serve his long-term UFC career by moving down to light heavyweight at 205 pounds, saying it "would be a great decision for him in the long run." Steveson remains committed to pursuing the heavyweight division's elite rather than getting sidetracked with emerging prospects.

Entering his UFC debut as one of the heaviest betting favorites in company history, Steveson is focused on backing up the considerable hype surrounding him. "It doesn't matter to me," he stated. "I come to show up and do the best thing that I can possibly ever do and that's win and that's all that matters to me."