There's hope within the MMA community that Gable Steveson will bring some life to the struggling heavyweight division.
The American is joining the UFC after putting together a 3-0 record in MMA, adding to an already impressive wrestling background.
Steveson is set to debut at UFC 329, where Conor McGregor returns at International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
The 25-year-old is expected to be heavily favoured in his opening fight, but his opponent sees it as a chance to make a name for himself.
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With Steveson just getting started in MMA, there's an expectation that the UFC will hand him a few easier matchups early on.
His first assignment is Elisha Ellison, who holds a 5-2 record but dropped his promotional debut in Perth last September. 'The Snack Panther' has only made it past the opening round once in his career and was stopped in both of his losses.
Ellison isn't buying into that narrative. Instead, he's looking to turn heads with a surprise win.
"I think the thing I was most excited about was the matchup itself and all the hype that Gable has," Ellison told MMA Junkie. "The opportunity to shock the world is what I'm most excited about."
He also laid out how he plans to make that happen when they step into the cage on July 11th.
"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. And he's good at it.
"I guess the goal would be to just really try and control the ring as much as possible and get him to shoot on our terms — which means, like, you know, setting up the right shots and anticipating that he's going to shoot because he is a wrestler," he added.
"I mean, he's an Olympic-level athlete. But, you know, it's a fight, and not a wrestling match. I can hit him and vice versa, which opens up a lot of space for many things."
Steveson is set to make an appearance under a different banner before stepping into the Octagon for his highly anticipated UFC debut.
The 2020 Olympic gold medallist will return to his roots this weekend, competing in the ninth edition of Real American Freestyle.
Steveson is slated to headline RAF 09 in Arlington, Texas, facing former UFC heavyweight contender Alexandr Romanov.
Also featured on the card are Colby Covington, Chris Weidman, Merab Dvalishvili, Frankie Edgar and Arman Tsarukyan.
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