Elisha Ellison out to 'shock the world' with Gable Steveson upset at UFC 329
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Many may see Elisha Ellison's next bout as a setup to get his opponent a guaranteed UFC win, but not Ellison. He sees it as an opportunity to skyrocket his young career and announce himself as a name to look out for in the UFC's heavyweight division.
Ellison (5-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has been given the task of welcoming 2020 Olympic wrestling gold medalist and blue-chip MMA prospect Gable Steveson (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) into the UFC. The oddsmakers are not giving Ellison much of a chance in his sophomore UFC bout, as Steveson enters as high as a -2500 favorite on some sportsbooks for their July 11 meet at UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).
But that's precisely what excited Ellison. He knows spoiling Steveson's UFC debut is a tall task, but one that comes with a big reward.
"I think the thing I was most excited about was the matchup itself and all the hype that Gable has," Ellison told MMA Junkie. "Respect to him. He earned it, you know, with his background and accolades, but the opportunity to shock the world is what I'm most excited about. The hard work that I'm putting in and the training partners that I have around me, the coaching staff that I've partnered with – it all makes for a great opportunity to shock the world."
Ellison, 29, is taking this opportunity very seriously, as he should. He's moved from Washington to Arizona to train with Javier Torres at Ultimate Kombat Training Center. He's been preparing with UFC heavyweight contender Waldo Cortes-Acosta and wrestling standout and fellow UFC heavyweight Tyrell Fortune.
Ellison feels this move to be key in his plans of shocking the combat sports world, and he already has a foundation for the strategy a week in at the new gym.
"He's a very explosive fighter," Ellison said. "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's really good at wrestling. 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."
Ellison not only looks to pull off one of the biggest upsets of 2026, but also bounce back from his first UFC defeat. Ellison debuted for the promotion earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 260 and suffered a knockout loss to Brando Pericic. He blames the "UFC jitters" for the lackluster performance, and feels having that out of the way will serve him as an advantage when he steps in the cage at UFC 329.
"Man, just being myself, bro," Ellison said when asked what he lacked in his UFC debut. "I think because I fought in Perth, I was trying to just act like I've been there and done it before. I think by doing that, I suppressed a lot of nerves, and I wasn't able to fight like myself at all. I was very contained. And, I mean, the fight didn't last long, and I didn't win. But I just need to learn to relax, bro. Relax, be myself, and let the game flow. Fighting is always evolving and so I feel like I'm a very quick-adapting fighter. So I think just relaxing and letting the game go where it goes and trying to steer it in my direction for my win."
With UFC 329 still more than one month away, Ellison knows the chatter, hype, and attention is all going to ramp up as the days go by. He's enjoying the fact that very few expect him to get his hand raised, and can't wait to defy the odds.
"I do like being an underdog, man," Ellison said. "People are already expecting you to lose, and I have everything to gain. I mean, whether it's from a financial standpoint to supporting my family, to more eyes on me – which honestly, brings better fight opportunities down the line. Yeah, I like being the underdog because all the pressure is on him. I like being the underdog. There's nothing to lose and everything to gain. People are already making their assumptions about the fight, and it's going to be what it's going to be. When I shock the world, I'll make everybody shut the hell up."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 329: Gable Steveson debut opponent vows to 'shock the world'