UFC commentator Jon Anik has questioned the future of heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson in the sport’s top fighting organization.
Steveson lost as a -2500 favorite to Sean Sharaf when he got brutally KO’d in just 12 seconds at UFC 331 in what was the biggest upset in UFC history based on the betting odds.
While many fans and analysts had pegged Steveson as a future UFC heavyweight champion, seeing him get flatlined the way he did has led some to question what his ceiling in the sport is, and Anik doesn’t disagree.
Jon Anik Questions Gable Steveson’s UFC Ceiling
Speaking to Submission Radio, Anik openly questioned whether or not Steveson can get to the 10-fight mark inside the UFC Octagon.
“Gable is now having to deal with an experience that a lot of athletes on his level just haven’t had to deal with. It’s one thing if maybe he got knocked out late in this fight, and even with the Reinier de Ridder-Bo Nickal fight, it did go into a second round. This dude got flatlined and knocked out in 12 seconds. So how do you regroup? I think he leans on everything mentally, physically, and his God-given talent that has gotten him to this position,” Anik said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“I still believe if Gable Steveson gets to 10 UFC fights, he’s going to realize a ton of success. But after his UFC debut, which went well, I went on our podcast, I said over-under 10 UFC fights for Gable. I’m not sure he actually gets to 10 fights. This is an appreciable setback. So I’m as curious as anybody to see how he responds from this, but it’s a big deal, and this is not the easiest thing from which to come back.”
Gable Steveson is an Elite Athlete
Despite the brutal KO loss to Sharaf, Steveson still has a ton of potential in the sport because he is an elite athlete who won a gold medal in the Olympics in freestyle wrestling, so if anyone is going to bounce back from such a devastating loss like the one he suffered at UFC 331, it is Steveson.
That being said, the loss to Sharaf was a really bad look, as Steveson was an absolutely massive betting favorite and got starched in just 12 seconds, which is a shocking loss for anyone inside the UFC, but especially one who comes with the credentials that Steveson does.
Because the UFC heavyweight division is so shallow — most fans consider it the weakest men’s weight class in the sport today — Steveson has a much better chance of getting to a title shot than if he competed in, say, the lightweight division, which is ridiculously stacked.
Still, he clearly has a ton to work on, including working on his striking defense, as he cannot afford to get hit cleanly by the big boys who are on the UFC heavyweight division roster. If he can clean up his striking defense and remember to wrestle early and often, then he’ll have a chance to get 10 UFC fights. If not, his UFC career could be much shorter than anyone could have ever expected.
Jon Anik Questions Gable Steveson’s UFC Future