Overview
- The Olympic gold medalist (2-0) meets Mexico’s Hugo Lezama (11-3) in Thursday’s main event in Monterrey after an intense yet respectful faceoff.
- Steveson hit 249 pounds at weigh-ins, his lightest to date, following sub-minute knockouts in LFA, Dirty Boxing and Anthony Pettis FC.
- He trains with mentor Jon Jones and has said he will push for a UFC debut on the White House card if he wins, with reported interest from Dana White and matchmakers.
- Responding to expectations, Steveson said there is “no pressure” and that “pressure makes diamonds,” as Bo Nickal advised him to prioritize steady improvement over hype.
- In pre-fight interviews, he listed Jones, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar on his heavyweight “Mount Rushmore,” and claimed he could already compete with Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.