Elisha Ellison has been given the task of welcoming Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson into the UFC. Oddsmakers are not giving Ellison much of a chance, with Steveson entering as high as a -2500 favorite for their July 11 meeting at UFC 329.

Ellison (5-3, 0-1 UFC) sees it differently. He views the matchup as an opportunity to skyrocket his career.

"I think the thing I was most excited about was the matchup itself and all the hype that Gable has," Ellison told MMA Junkie. "The opportunity to shock the world is what I'm most excited about."

The Challenge

Ellison has moved from Washington to Arizona to train with Javier Torres at Ultimate Kombat Training Center, preparing with UFC heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta and wrestling standout Tyrell Fortune.

"He's a very explosive fighter. He's a wrestler," Ellison said. "It's a fight, not a wrestling match. I can hit him and vice versa, which opens up a lot of space for many things."

Embracing the Underdog Role

Ellison is enjoying the fact that very few expect him to get his hand raised.

"I do like being an underdog," Ellison said. "People are already expecting you to lose, and I have everything to gain. All the pressure is on him. When I shock the world, I'll make everybody shut the hell up."