Rookie Report Card: Grading all Octagon newcomers UFC 329 post-mortem

You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!

Two rookies stepped into the Octagon last night (Sat., July 11, 2026) at UFC 329 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Collectively, the newcomers went 1-1, with one of them scoring a nasty knockout to kick off his UFC career in style.

Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:

Gable Steveson

At long last, Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA Division I Heavyweight champion Gable Steveson made his highly anticipated UFC debut.

And boy, was it wild.

Steveson came out of the gate swinging heavy hooks and power punches, clearly looking to make a violent first impression. A low blow briefly stalled the action, but once the fight resumed, the Olympian started mixing in body kicks that really seemed to hurt Elisha Ellison.

From there, Steveson put Ellison against the fence and unloaded with punches, knees and more pressure until he eventually put Ellison down for a first-round knockout (watch highlights).

It was wild. It was sloppy. It was also exactly the kind of UFC debut Steveson needed.

No, it was not technically perfect, and no, we did not see much of the elite wrestling that made him famous. In fact, Steveson used basically zero wrestling, which makes you wonder if he has already fallen in love with knocking people out.

Still, the hype is only going to get louder after this one.

Steveson could probably already compete with several Heavyweights in the Top 15, but there is no need to rush him. For his second UFC outing, I would like to see him against someone just outside the rankings — someone dangerous, experienced and flawed.

Give me Steveson vs. Ryan Spann.

Final grade: A

John Garza

John Garza, a Fury FC veteran, stepped up on one week’s notice to take on undefeated Farid Basharat on the UFC 329 Prelims.

That is a brutal debut assignment.

Basharat started fast, chopping at Garza’s legs with calf kicks while Garza tried to answer with quick, crisp boxing. Basharat eventually landed a nice takedown and took Garza’s back, but Garza was able to reverse and work back to his feet.

Unfortunately for Garza, Basharat kept the pressure on.

The undefeated prospect took him down again, and once they returned to the feet, Basharat started styling with spinning backfists, head kicks and straight rights to close the round strong.

Garza came out aggressive in Round 2 and started unloading in the clinch, but Basharat created space and went right back to picking him apart with slick, technical striking. Garza did defend a pair of takedowns, and toward the end of the round, he started landing his trademark body shots, which appeared to get Basharat’s attention.

In Round 3, Garza came out hunting.

He pushed forward, stuffed several takedowns and tried to turn the fight into a dogfight. However, by the final 64 seconds, Garza’s calf was basically toast, and Basharat was able to seal the deal.

Basharat ultimately won by unanimous decision.

While I do think UFC may have signed Garza a little early, he showed real toughness, aggression and flashes of potential against a very technical undefeated fighter. He is young, fun and willing to bite down on his mouthpiece, which will play well against lower-level competition.

And if that ends up being his ceiling, so what?

Garza is the kind of fighter who can make a lot of fans — and a lot of “Fight of the Night” bonus money — if matched correctly.

For his second UFC outing, give me Garza vs. Timmy Cuamba.

Final grade: C

For more UFC 329 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.