“It’s a different level in the UFC” says the UFC boss.

So who will Gable Stevenson compete against in his UFC debut? Dana seems to think that the UFC will be wise in their potential opponent selection.

Gable Steveson isn’t going to be rushed into a tough matchup before Dana White is confident he’s ready.

That’s why the Olympic gold medalist is expected to face someone with a similar level of experience in his Octagon debut later this year. That approach clashes with some of the more “wild” predictions floating around, but history shows that White and his team prefer giving high-profile heavyweights a more manageable first fight.

“CM Punk fought here, we’ll find somebody,” White said at the UFC Winnipeg press conference. “I don’t know if we go after a Top 15 guy. The UFC jitters are real. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before—this is a different level. Our matchmakers will figure out the right opponent based on where we think he’s at and what he’s capable of.”

In other words, the UFC isn’t looking to jeopardize Steveson’s long-term potential by matching him up too quickly with established heavyweights like Tallison Teixeira or Shamil Gaziev. (Though, to be fair, the division isn’t exactly stacked.)

Steveson, 25, currently holds a 3–0 record in MMA, along with a 1–0 mark in dirty boxing.

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