Gable Steveson Stays Unbeaten in MMA
Former U.S. Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson improved to 3-0 as a professional MMA fighter, scoring a first-round TKO against Hugo Lezama at Mexico Fight League 3 in Monterrey. Despite his undefeated streak and dominant performance, Steveson has not called for a UFC contract yet, signaling a more measured approach to his MMA career trajectory.
- Before his MMA career, Steveson had a dominant wrestling career, winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, two NCAA Division I national championships for the University of Minnesota, and two Dan Hodge Trophies as the nation's best college wrestler. - His Olympic gold medal victory was secured in dramatic fashion with a last-second takedown against three-time world champion Geno Petriashvili of Georgia. - Steveson's path to MMA included a brief stint in professional wrestling with WWE, where he was signed to the first-ever NIL (Next In Line) deal by the company, and a tryout with the NFL's Buffalo Bills. - To prepare for his transition to mixed martial arts, he has been training with former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his team at Jackson Wink MMA Academy. - In his recent victory over Hugo Lezama, Steveson demonstrated resilience by absorbing a spinning wheel kick to the head early in the fight before securing the TKO finish with ground-and-pound. - After returning to collegiate wrestling for the 2024-25 season, his 70-match winning streak was unexpectedly snapped in a major upset when he lost to Oklahoma State's Wyatt Hendrickson in the NCAA championship finals. - Despite his short time in the sport, Steveson has expressed confidence in his ability to compete with top UFC heavyweights like Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira.
