Gable Steveson confirms his mixed martial arts debut

Gable Steveson, Olympic wrestling champion and former WWE developmental talent, will make the leap to mixed martial arts: he will debut in LFA 217 against Braden Peterson on September 12 at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel (Prior Lake, Minnesota), with broadcast on UFC Fight Pass.

The promoter LFA confirmed the pairing and the date for the American's professional debut, which brings him back into the competitive spotlight after closing his chapter at the Performance Center. His opponent will be Braden Peterson, in an event with a local flavor for the Olympian, born in Minnesota.

The move to MMA doesn't come as a surprise to anyone: Steveson had already shown interest in the discipline and even trained with former UFC champion Jon Jones. His elite freestyle base, which earned him gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games, makes him one of the most watched talents in the scene.

After winning the gold, Steveson signed with WWE in 2021. His first match didn't come until 2023, at NXT Great American Bash, where it ended in a no contest against Baron Corbin. In May of the following year, he was included in the list of talents released from NXT.

Soccer parenthesis and return to NCAA

After his departure from WWE, the Olympian flirted with the NFL by signing with the Buffalo Bills, although he ultimately didn't secure a spot on the practice squad. He also returned to collegiate competition this same year, reaching the NCAA final, where he fell to Wyatt Hendrickson.

Gable Steveson's television career has been a rollercoaster of news and speculations, but he has never quite stood out in the mainstream. This path is likely to be the definitive one for him to succeed in a non-Olympic setting.