On February 19th, Gable Steveson is set to take the biggest step of his career. At the Mexican Fight Night event, the 25-year-old prospect with a 2-0 record will face Hugo Lezama, who holds an 11-3 record, in his third MMA fight. With that massive experience gap, fans will be watching closely to see whether Jon Jones’ protégé can truly break through. But alongside the audience, Steveson believes the UFC will also keep a sharp eye on his next bout.

The former NCAA champ and Olympian revealed that Dana White and Co. have stayed in constant contact with him throughout his fight journey. As a potential breakthrough looms, Steveson shed light on the ongoing positive talks between him and the UFC, even hinting at a possible opportunity to compete at the White House event. 

Gable Steveson in talks with UFC as White House debut looms 

“I think they are watching closely. I think they are keeping their tabs. Like, I don’t know, you’d hope that they are watching closely. But I know they are. That’s just me being humble and saying nice words. They are watching. We have been in actually a lot of contact. I would say after every single fight, there’s a call. Not just me, but with the people that I’m with. They relay messages to me. It’s all good messages with all positive things, good energy,” Steveson said in an ESPN MMA interview.

For quite some time, the former NCAA champ and Olympian has wanted to fight under Dana White’s promotion. He even called out the company’s top matchmaker, Mick Maynard, after brutally knocking out Billy Swanson at DBX 4 last year. Despite that callout, Steveson has yet to make his UFC debut, but he continues to maintain contact with the key decision makers.

As the former freestyle wrestler plots his next move, he has already envisioned the perfect UFC debut. As a proud American, Gable Steveson wants to debut on the projected UFC White House card expected to take place in June this year. However, the motivation goes beyond simply fighting on a big stage. Steveson wants to be part of the biggest American spectacle as one of the country’s representatives. 

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“I think there’s a spot for me, especially being a U.S. Olympic champion. You know, there’s gotta be a place for that, someone who can represent America. I don’t think there’s one American champion right now besides Gaethje. But he’s kind of the interim. So, if the White House happens for me, it happens for me. If it doesn’t, I keep moving on and the next big thing will come,” Steveson added in the interview.

Now, as Gable dreams big about his first step inside Dana White’s promotion, he understands that the next fight will matter most. Because of that, the heavyweight sensation is preparing for nothing less than a proper war.  

The young heavyweight is ready to go all out against an experienced opponent 

So far, all of Gable Steveson’s victories have come by knockout, and he secured both in the first round. The ex-freestyle wrestler’s hands have looked downright daunting for his opponents. But ahead of his next bout against Hugo Lezama, he’s definitely predicting the same outcome. However, Steveson is not shying away from going the full distance if that’s what it takes to prove his complete skill set.

“I think a big knockout next Thursday will make it perfect. If it’s not a knockout, we can go the distance, we can TKO, we can do anything. I’m ready for all aspects of it. But I think that’ll be a big jump for me if I go out there and dominate a guy with a lot of experience and make that next step,” Steveson added in the ESPN MMA interview.

Well, if the 25-year-old steps into the cage and defeats an opponent who carries far more experience than him, that should absolutely grab the UFC’s attention. Nevertheless, a hard-fought three-round performance with clear dominance could benefit Steveson even more than chasing a quick knockout, as it would showcase his entire skill set.

That said, as Gable Steveson aims to make his UFC debut on the White House card, do you think he can actually turn that dream into reality? Let us know in the comments section below.