Gable Steveson has landed a UFC deal.
The decorated former collegiate wrestling star, who has spent the past few years trying to find his footing after a career on the mat, has made it to MMA’s top promotion.
25-year-old Steveson will join UFC’s heavyweight division at the promotion’s July 11 numbered card in Las Vegas, Nevada, as announced on last night’s broadcast.
Steveson has proven to have massive MMA potential since transitioning to the sport last fall. He has already scored three first-round finishes in his career, including a 24-second win in November.
After winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for freestyle wrestling and becoming a two-time NCAA Division I champ, Steveson searched for what would come next in his career. That multi-year search saw him try out many different options before landing on MMA.
He briefly tested out professional wrestling, having an unsuccessful run as a developmental talent for WWE. He later signed onto the practice squad for NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2024, only to be released a few months later. Steveson returned to collegiate wrestling briefly as well last year.
Steveson has been a controversial figure due to his connection with a 2019 sexual assault accusation. The allegation, which emerged during his college days, was dropped due to a Minnesota law that doesn’t consider sexual assault victims “mentally impaired” by alcohol if they voluntarily consumed the drinks themselves. This law, called by some an “intoxication loophole,” changed two years later.
Pursuing MMA, something Steveson has toyed with for years, became an official choice from him last year when he joined the prolific Jackson Wink MMA gym, which notably features ex-heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
Many thought it was a matter of “when” and not “if” for Steveson joining the UFC roster. Still only a rookie pro fighter, that moment is already near arrival.
