The UFC’s roster has had its share of former Olympians, and three people—Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, and CM Punk—can say they’ve been in a WWE ring and the promotion’s Octagon. It looks like there is another athlete looking to add his name to that list.
Gable Steveson, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Games and a former WWE Superstar, has decided to seriously pursue a career in the UFC.
“I want to put the gloves on,” Steveson said during an interview with Mike Perry on the latter’s Overdogs Podcast. “I want to be a UFC star. I want to, I want to be a champion. I want to hold that belt up high and be in the heavyweight division. And I think the main thing is taking the time with it and making sure everything’s polished and right, so when I do shoot off, that rocket ship has no stopping. And so that’s the main thing right now.”
Steveson, 24, who is also a two-time NCAA national champion, would be one of the most accomplished wrestlers ever in the UFC. There is no question the UFC would, and probably is, taking Steveson’s desire to fight seriously.
To make his case more credible, Steveson has been training with Jon Jones and others at Jackson Wink Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he is potentially getting prepared to make a run with the No. 1 mixed martial arts organization in the world.
In case you’re a WWE fan and don’t remember seeing Steveson in action, it’s understandable. He spent most of his time with NXT, WWE’s developmental brand, and never made it to the Raw or SmackDown main rosters. However, he did have this moment in the ring with another former Olympian-turned-WWE Superstar, Chad Gable.
Still, he is a phenomenal athlete known as much for his agility as he is for his strength. Steveson has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, which won’t hurt his chances. Steveson also tried his hand at landing a spot on an NFL roster. He was in camp with the Buffalo Bills before the 2024 season, but he did not make the 53-man roster.
As well-known as he is, it is still unlikely the UFC would allow Steveson to walk directly onto the main roster. It seems more likely he’ll have to fight his way onto the roster through the Dana White’s Contender Series, very similarly to Bo Nickal, who came to the promotion as a decorated amateur wrestler.
Nickal had to win on DWCS twice before Dana White awarded him a contract and a spot on the roster. Nickal responded by winning his first four fights on the main roster before being handed his first professional loss on May 3 at the hands of Reinier de Ridder.
Steveson on DWCS would be a major draw, but considering he hasn’t had a single fight with an independent promotion, I wouldn’t bet on him landing on the upcoming season scheduled for the fall.
However, there is enough time for Steveson to get some fights under his belt and perhaps be ready for DWCS in 2026. Nickal had two amateur MMA fights, one pro bout, and three grappling matches ahead of his two appearances on DWCS in 2022.
We’ll see if and when Steveson sets up his first amateur or pro MMA fight. It figures to draw far more than most any other fighter making their MMA debut.