Our ambassador Gable Steveson is actively preparing for the tournament, and on July 11 he will have his first fight in the UFC - a very telling moment in his career.
For me, Gable is arguably one of the most interesting fighters to have joined the UFC in recent years. An Olympic champion, one of the most talented wrestlers of his generation, and, as many have long said, a future UFC star.
When we first saw him in training with Jon Jones, it immediately became clear how much he stands out from the rest in the octagon - as a new-generation heavyweight fighter: big, powerful, and at the same time, importantly, fast and very mobile. This kind of profile always creates the feeling that his ceiling has not yet been reached. I suppose the organization itself understands this no less well than we do - there are very few athletes like this on the market.
What we're seeing is rare in this sport: the 'future star' status usually comes after years, but Gable earned it even before his debut fight. So let's make sure to support him - July 11 marks the start of a potentially big story in the UFC.
