Gable Steveson Debuts in MMA: A Wrestling Giant Jumps to the Octagon
The renowned heavyweight wrestler, Gable Steveson, who has dominated the wrestling scene in his generation, is ready for his professional debut in mixed martial arts.
Steveson, 25, will face Braden Peterson at the LFA 217 event on September 12. The fight will take place at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, located in Steveson’s home state of Minnesota, and will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. LFA is one of the leading regional promoters in the United States, recognized for being a talent pool for the UFC.
In 2020, Steveson made history by becoming the youngest Olympic gold medalist in the freestyle heavyweight division, achieving this milestone at the age of 21. During his time at the University of Minnesota, Steveson was crowned a two-time NCAA Division I champion, a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, and a five-time All-American.
He advanced to the NCAA Championship finals in March 2025, where he suffered an unexpected defeat to Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State University. Steveson was leading the match in the final moments when Hendrickson achieved the first takedown against a Steveson opponent all season.
In recent years, Steveson has been seen training in the world of MMA, including sessions with former UFC heavyweight champion and legend, Jon Jones, before Jones’ last fight in 2024. He has also trained at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. His opponent, Peterson (1-0), is a 37-year-old fighter from Montana, who earned a knockout victory in 14 seconds in July.
