Elisha Ellison vs Gable Steveson: UFC 329's historic mismatch
Elisha Ellison faces Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in a UFC 329 heavyweight preliminary on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 5-2 underdog calls Steveson talented but green, shrugs off his Jon Jones training, and says an upset would mean everything on the sport's biggest stage.
The bout lands on the undercard of UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 during Fight Week, giving one-time Bills hopeful Gable Steveson a prime platform for a debut years in the making. Across the cage stands Elisha Ellison, the massive betting underdog in a matchup that has drawn attention far beyond hardcore MMA circles—fitting fodder for our Bizarre News & Florida Man desk.
Key Takeaways
- Elisha Ellison (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) meets undefeated Gable Steveson (3-0 MMA) in a three-round heavyweight prelim Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
- Steveson is listed as roughly a -2166 favorite on average across major sportsbooks, per MMA Junkie and BestFightOdds—among the most lopsided lines in recent UFC history.
- Ellison told reporters Jon Jones will not be in the Octagon with Steveson and that beating the Olympian would mean the world.
- Steveson's path to Saturday ran through WWE, a 2024 Buffalo Bills tryout, and just 5 minutes 52 seconds of pro cage time.
- Neither fighter has ever reached the second round in a professional bout.
Who Is Elisha Ellison and Why Is He the Underdog?
Ellison enters UFC 329 as a historic underdog against a prospect carrying Olympic wrestling gold, two NCAA heavyweight titles, and three regional first-round finishes. The former police officer is 0-1 inside the UFC after a first-round knockout loss in his promotional debut last year, per Sherdog.
At UFC 329 media day, Ellison did not play down Steveson's résumé—but he did question his MMA seasoning. "Anybody coming in, especially to a big promotion in the UFC, 3-0, you would be a fool not to call him green," Ellison said. "It doesn't mean I'm writing him off."
Ellison has never seen a second round across seven pro outings. That volatility cuts both ways: he could be finished quickly, or he could land the kind of early punch that rewrites the storyline.
What Makes Gable Steveson's UFC Debut Such a Big Deal?
Steveson, 26, was long tipped for MMA stardom before detours through WWE and the NFL. In May 2024 he signed with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive lineman despite never playing high school football. He appeared in three preseason games, logging three tackles and two quarterback hits, but failed to make the final roster.
His first-ever football snap came in Buffalo's 2024 preseason opener—one tackle and a quarterback pressure in 14 plays. As NFL.com noted, he may still have more NFL preseason minutes than total pro fighting time heading into Saturday.
Now training under Greg Jackson alongside Jon Jones, Steveson calls this the plan he should have followed from the start. "This was always the plan; I should've probably started with this plan at first," he said at media day. "You get into some hiccups and you gotta work your way out of them."
Will Jon Jones or the Betting Odds Matter on Fight Night?
Steveson has prepared with Jones, but Ellison waved off any corner advantage. "Jon Jones isn't in the Octagon. So, it doesn't matter to me," he said. Steveson, for his part, told MMA Junkie the eye-popping numbers do not change his approach.
"This is a perfect debut opponent for me," Steveson said Wednesday. "All respect to Elisha for taking this matchup." He added that he treats every heavyweight the same—"whether it's Derrick Lewis or Josh Hokit, Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane"—and that winning is all that matters.
Steveson has embraced the spotlight underneath McGregor vs. Holloway 2. "This will be the show that I want it to be," he said. "It will be the Gable Steveson show." For Elisha Ellison, the chance to spoil that script is exactly why he took the fight.