The man Joe Rogan has been talking about for months is finally sitting across from him. On the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Gable Steveson joined the longtime UFC color commentator, and it didn’t take long for the conversation to heat up as Rogan revealed the juicy details about his warning to UFC CEO Dana White about Steveson.

Steveson made his MMA debut in September, stopping Braden Peterson via first-round knockout. He also tested himself in BKFC, flattening Billy Swanson. However, it was his most recent performance that seemed to leave the biggest impression on Joe Rogan—a November outing in which Steveson needed less than 30 seconds to dispatch Kevin Hein.

What did Joe Rogan tell Dana White about Gable Steveson?

Speaking to Steveson on his JRE MMA Show #172, Joe Rogan recalled the Olympic gold medalist’s most recent outing. “You had an MMA fight, where you hit that dude with a left hook and then took him down while he’s out cold,” Rogan said, referencing the Hein bout at Anthony Pettis FC 21. “I sent Dana White a text message.”

Rogan has previously discussed that message on the podcast show, warning that the UFC’s heavyweight division should be on high alert if Gable Steveson enters the picture. “I said, ‘Everyone’s f—ked.’ I did… Because I was like, ‘That kind of speed is crazy. That kind of speed, incorporated with elite wrestling, is crazy,’” Rogan reiterated.

In Rogan’s view, the current heavyweight landscape lacks true depth beyond a handful of elite names. “You got Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones if he chooses to fight again, Francis Ngannou if by some miracle they can work something out and bring him back to the UFC. Other than that, there’s no one compelling for like a championship-caliber fighter,” Rogan said.

Jon Jones briefly retired last year before making a U-turn to compete on the UFC’s White House card, while Francis Ngannou departed the promotion to sign with the PFL. With Ngannou nearing the end of his PFL contract and his very public rift with Dana White well documented, a UFC return appears unlikely at best.

That effectively leaves Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, who are expected to have their rematch. Aspinall has also stated his intention to retire by age 36, narrowing the window if the UFC hopes to sign Steveson and match him against the Brit. Still, Rogan believes Steveson is already operating at an elite level, claiming only select fighters worldwide could pose serious problems for him.

“And you’re already there, which is nuts, and you haven’t even fought in the UFC yet,” Rogan told Steveson on the podcast. “When I watched you move, and I watched you fight, I was like, ‘Okay, how do you stop that? Who’s got the skills to be able to stop that?’” Rogan continued. “In my mind, there’s like only a few guys where it’s going to be a problem. The Francis Ngannous, the Ciryl Ganes, and the Tom Aspinalls, that’s it.”

Adding fuel to the speculation, UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was in attendance for Steveson’s DBX 4 appearance, a strong indicator of the promotion’s interest in the 25-year-old. With Jon Jones firmly backing his protege, Steveson’s eventual arrival in the UFC feels more like a matter of timing than possibility. And Steveson himself seems eager to make it happen.

Gable Steveson calls for a UFC contract

Steveson has made it clear that he believes a UFC contract should be next after his win over PFL and Bellator veteran Billy Swanson in just 13 seconds at DBX4. Steveson stunned Swanson with a clean right hand before charging forward with a vicious combination. 

A crushing uppercut sent Swanson to the canvas, where Steveson finished the fight with heavy ground strikes, leaving his opponent unconscious. Moments later, Steveson turned his attention to UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, who was seated cageside. 

Sending a direct message, he said, “I think a special guest was here to come watch me. Mick, you’ve seen a little bit. I would love to show a lot more. Hopefully, you believe in me, and I appreciate you.” With multiple ultra-fast wins across fight sports, it won’t be long before he gets his wish granted.

Joe Rogan seems to think Gable Steveson is the next big star in the heavyweight division. Do you think he is right?