White: Steveson unlikely to face ranked foe in UFC debut
UFC CEO Dana White is shedding some light on what Gable Steveson's Octagon debut could look like.
Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time Division I champion wrestler, signed with the premier MMA promotion earlier in April. He's scheduled to make his debut at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
Though the 25-year-old is widely considered a potential future UFC champion, White indicated Saturday that the promotion won't throw Steveson into the deep end of the heavyweight division right away.
"I don't know if we go after a top-15 guy," White told theScore at the UFC Winnipeg postfight press conference.
"I say this to you guys all the time: The UFC jitters are real. Walking in - I don't care how you've competed or where or what you've done. When you come here, it's a different level. Like I said earlier tonight, our matchmakers are the best in the business. We'll figure him out and get him the right fight ... at what we think his level is and what we think he's capable of."
Steveson made his professional MMA debut last September and holds a 3-0 record, all first-round finishes. Most recently, he defeated Hugo Lezama at a Mexico Fight League event in February.
Steveson transitioned to MMA following a three-year career in WWE and a brief stint with the NFL's Buffalo Bills during the 2024 preseason.