That’s two knockouts in under two minutes in his first two MMA bouts for Gable Steveson! And the UFC title conversations are already firing up. After the former NCAA standout and Olympian made a successful debut in LFA, the 25-year-old heavyweight shocked the world by flatlining Billy Swanson in just 15 seconds at DBX 4. Following that brutal finish, Steveson stunned fans again with another 24-second knockout vs. Kevin Hein at Anthony Pettis’ promotion, APFC 21. With that dominant outing, the talks about him are no longer limited to simply joining the UFC. Some started predicting that he could become a champ.

Soon after Steveson scored another highlight-reel knockout, his mentor Jon Jones posted on Instagram, “Mark my words, Gable will be the most elite heavyweight fighter on the planet within the next 12 months.” ‘Bones’ wasn’t the only one to hype his protégé. Former MMA fighter Ben Askren also jumped on the Steveson bandwagon, predicting that the Indiana native would become a champion one day.

Ben Askren believes Gable Steveson can become UFC champ in 18 months 

The viral video of Steveson knocking out Kevin Hein quickly made the rounds on social media, which ‘Funky’ reposted with the caption, “Yep, time to go to the UFC. Gable can be champ in 18 months.” Askren gave him six more months than Jones, but the feeling remained mutual for the fellow NCAA champion.

With that victory, the Indiana native continues to stay on Dana White’s radar for a possible UFC debut in the future. Currently, the UFC head honcho has been reshaping the 265-pound division, even cutting fighters like Chris Barnett to make room for new talent. And who’s better than a 25-year-old former NCAA champion to give them a run for their money? But wait, the promotion still has reasons not to rush Steveson into their roster.

There’s no doubt Steveson has shown real knockout power. However, it’s also clear the ex-Olympian hasn’t faced opponents who can truly push him yet. He made his debut against Braden Peterson, a 1-0 fighter at the time who has since taken a loss. After that, he met former PFL and Bellator heavyweight Billy Swanson at DBX 4, a guy who never picked up a win in either promotion. And most recently, the former NCAA champ tore through Kevin Hein, a more experienced fighter but still someone coming from a very regional scene.

So, while these fights serve as solid starters for Steveson, it would be ideal if he pushed himself to face more credible opponents before jumping into the UFC. Still, Jon Jones’ protégé believes he’s ready to compete there, and because of that, he called out to Mick Maynard. 

Former Olympian sends a message to UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard once again   

After Gable Steveson knocked out Billy Swanson in Nashville, Tennessee, he didn’t waste a single moment to let UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard know that he’s ready to enter the UFC Octagon. But as the rising heavyweight expressed his desire, he also stayed adamant about showing the top UFC brass more, saying, “I would love to show a lot more. And hopefully you believe in me, and I appreciate you” at the post-fight interview.

Now, as Steveson has successfully shown more at the APFC event, his eyes once again looked for Maynard in the crowd. The former freestyle wrestler said, “Oh man, I think a guy named… I said this last time, but a guy named Mick Maynard was supposed to come from Qatar, but I don’t know if he’s here.” Well, after realizing that Maynard might not be there, Steveson moved ahead and delivered some valuable shout-outs at the event, which included Holly Holm and Anthony Pettis.

He added, “But let’s give a special shout-out to Anthony Pettis and his brother Sergio Pettis, APFC. I wanna give a special shout out to Holly Holm, one of the best Albuquerque women’s fighters ever.” And that speech definitely showed how the 25-year-old actually respects MMA legends as he steps deeper into the game.

That said, as Gable Steveson keeps going viral and a ton of hype forms around him, do you think it’s the best time for the UFC to sign him? Or should they wait a little more until he gets more valuable experience? Let us know in the comments section below.