Gable Steveson has a bright future after an impressive win at UFC 329, and he already has some big names in his sights.
One contender he’s frequently been compared to is Josh Hokit, another under-30 heavyweight prospect who has fought his way to a top 10 ranking just four fights into his UFC career. Steveson and Hokit have had plenty to say about each other, with Hokit recently responding on social media to comments Steveson made about him in an interview.
“Remember, this ain’t wrestling,” Hokit wrote. “If anyone signs up to face me in a fist fight, better have a good insurance policy. It will take your doctor time to put your face back together, unless you quit like the last guy I fought. This includes the guy [Jon Jones] that trains you. I’m the baddest man on the planet.
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“[UFC], give me Ciryl and I will prove it… I will clear this whole division out by the end of 2027. You won’t have to wonder how fights will go. I actually want to fight them all. I just want to get paid when I do it which means I need the title.”
Steveson made a successful UFC debut at Saturday’s event in Las Vegas, taking out Elisha Ellison inside of a round, and was later asked about Hokit’s response.
“Like I said, I like Josh as a fighter,” Steveson said. “Josh is a character. Josh wants to make sure people follow him on Instagram or follow him on Twitter. I go out there and dominate. I go out there and win. So if the time comes with Josh, if he doesn’t move down before that, so be it, will make it happen.
“But right now, today I’ll enjoy this victory. Monday, I’ll be back in the gym. I’ll wait for my next call and hopefully it’s [Madison Square Garden], and if it isn’t, we’ll be back before that.”
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Regarding Hokit’s colorful—and often offensive—character work, Steveson had little to say about it but didn’t appear to take issue.
“He does a great job, good for him,” Steveson said.
Another important heavyweight name Steveson was asked about was current interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane. With undisputed champion Tom Aspinall’s return from injury still yet to be made official, Gane capitalized on his chance to win an interim belt with a knockout over former two-division champion Alex Pereira at UFC White House.
That’s another potential opponent for Steveson down the road, though he knows it could be some time before that matchup happens.
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“Ciryl Gane’s a great fighter, a fantastic fighter,” Steveson said. “He’s one of my favorite fighters in the heavyweight division. Of course, he’s a target. He has something that a lot of people want, but today I’ll take my win. I’ll take my victory and I keep moving it slow. Ciryl Gane is in the foreseeable future, but he’s not in the next fight, and I’ll worry about the next fight and then after that, I’ll worry about the next one.”
