Steveson eyes Gane and Aspinall but tells Hokit a move to 205 would serve him better

Gable Steveson arrives at UFC 329 as arguably the most decorated wrestling prospect ever to sign with the promotion, and even before his octagon debut against Elisha Ellison on Saturday, the conversation has already turned to title contention and potential rivalries — including one with fellow heavyweight Josh Hokit.

Speaking at UFC 329 media day, Steveson confirmed he is monitoring the heavyweight division closely, naming Ciryl Gane, Tom Aspinall, and Hokit among the fighters on his radar. But the two-time NCAA champion from Minnesota was clear about his immediate priority.

“Of course, I’m eyeballing [them],” Steveson said. “But my first task is to go out there Saturday night and put on a great performance and let everybody in this room know that I’m here.”

The Steveson-Hokit dynamic carries extra intrigue given that both fighters train primarily out of New Mexico and share coach Greg Jackson. Hokit, a former All-American wrestler at Fresno State who has become one of the UFC’s most talked-about heavyweights — as much for his personality as his rapid rise up the rankings — is a name frequently linked with Steveson in fan discussions. Steveson, however, does not see their shared coaching setup as a source of tension.

“Josh Hokit does what Josh Hokit does,” Steveson said. “What he’s doing is great for him. The character work is working for him. Applause for him making it work. If people like it, people like it. If people don’t, then who cares. We’ve been in the same room many times. Josh is doing a fantastic job of what Josh does. Good for him.”

When asked about a potential fight between the two, Steveson did not rule it out — but he suggested Hokit might find more long-term success by moving down a weight class to light heavyweight at 205 pounds.

“It’s not tough for me to go against Josh Hokit,” Steveson said. “I honestly heard that Josh Hokit was going to go down to 205 [pounds] from someone. If he goes down, that would be a great decision for him in the long run.”

With UFC legend Jon Jones among his primary coaches and mentors, Steveson enters UFC 329 as a significant betting favourite against Ellison — reportedly one of the largest favourites in UFC history. How he performs on Saturday will go a long way toward determining just how quickly those heavyweight title conversations become a reality.