Gable Steveson is seemingly headed for a career in MMA. Because of his résumé, Steveson, 24, is the hottest free agent in the sport.
Steveson won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics.
He’s a Division I National Champion and a former WWE Superstar who also played for the Buffalo Bills this past preseason. His Olympic gold medal came after defeating Georgian wrestler Geno Petriashvili in a match he sealed with a last-second score.
Steveson’s transition into WWE was highly anticipated, and he was signed to a unique NIL deal, allowing him to continue his collegiate wrestling career while under contract with the company. However, he was released by the promotion in May.
Steveson recently played a significant role in helping Jon Jones prepare for Stipe Miocic ahead of UFC 309, and that experience has seemingly led to his next move. Jones, considered by many to be the greatest fighter in MMA history, is also known for his ability to mentor younger fighters, having previously worked with other notable names in the sport.
Steveson appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday and said he fell in love with the sport while training with Jones. Helwani expressed his desire to see Steveson try his hand at mixed martial arts and asked about his prospects.
“After being in that camp with Jon Jones that definitely put a major spark in me to go out there and do MMA,” Steveson said. “I’m not sure of the promotion yet, but Jon definitely lit a fire under me and say, ‘hey, I think you should go back to wrestling. I think you should try MMA. We’ve got a great team here in Albuquerque if you want to join us.’ It was just fascinating how I got into something so quick. When I put on the gloves, everything felt like home base. With the wrestling, the boxing work, the jiu-jitsu, I think I could be very good really quick.”
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Steveson is one of the most remarkable athletes of our generation. His combination of power, explosiveness, and dexterity is off the charts. That said, even for an athlete of his caliber, he would face a tough challenge making an immediate impact in the UFC.
His career trajectory would likely resemble that of another former Division I wrestling champion, Bo Nickal. The UFC made Nickal go through two stints on the Dana White Contender Series before signing him to the main roster. Nickal had two amateur fights in 2021 and a professional fight that he ended in 33 seconds in 2022 before getting his first taste of the Contender Series in August 2022.
Nickal scored a 62-second submission win in that fight. He returned a month later in the same season and won via triangle choke in just 52 seconds to earn the contract.
Nickal’s rise could become a blueprint for high-level wrestlers entering MMA, as it could allow them to develop well-rounded skills before jumping into the UFC.
It’s possible Steveson could follow a similar plan if the UFC is the direction he chooses. However, he seems open to offers from other promotions.
When Nickal emerged, the Professional Fighters League had yet to establish itself as a viable option for young up-and-comers. Now, with the PFL’s multimillion-dollar deal with Francis Ngannou and partnerships with global broadcast platforms like DAZN, the promotion has become a legitimate contender for talent acquisition.
Also, signing young fighters like Paul Hughes and Dakota Ditcheva, both of whom are fighting for championships in the PFL in the next three months, the PFL could be an even more attractive starting point for Steveson.
He could secure a lucrative contract from the PFL, which would benefit from his star power, and he would likely face manageable opponents early in his career. He won’t get both of those advantages from the UFC.
Steveson’s ultimate destination could be the UFC, but the PFL seems to have a great opportunity to offer him a lucrative deal upfront. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds, but Steveson’s MMA debut will be a significant event, regardless of the promotion.
