Gable Steveson Dominates in MMA Debut

One fight into his professional MMA career, Gable Steveson is already showing why he’s one of the most talked-about prospects in combat sports.

The Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA Division I national champion made his professional debut at LFA 217, finishing Braden Peterson in the very first round with a relentless ground-and-pound stoppage. The performance was exactly what many expected from the decorated wrestler: explosive, dominant, and overwhelming.

Steveson entered MMA carrying a mountain of accolades. A standout at the University of Minnesota, he became the youngest Olympic super heavyweight champion in history at the 2020 Games, one of only six collegiate wrestlers to win the Dan Hodge Trophy multiple times and the only one to do so at heavyweight.

So when the cage door closed, there was little surprise that Steveson imposed his will almost instantly. Within seconds, he powered Peterson to the mat and never let him recover, sealing his debut victory in emphatic fashion.

Steveson’s road to MMA has been anything but ordinary. Following his Olympic triumph, he signed with WWE in 2021, but after a brief stint was released in 2023.

He then pursued an NFL career with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive lineman, though his run there ended in 2024. Returning to Minnesota, Steveson also experienced one of the biggest upsets in NCAA wrestling history before finally setting his focus on MMA full-time.

Now, the 24-year-old powerhouse is one of the sport’s most intriguing new heavyweights. And he’s not walking this path alone. Former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones (who trained with Steveson ahead of his planned fight with Stipe Miocic) was cageside in Minnesota to support him. Jones has since welcomed Steveson into his team, adding even more intrigue to the trajectory of one of MMA’s newest stars.