Heavyweight wrestling sensation Gable Steveson will make his MMA debut in LFA 217 in September, he announced on Tuesday.
Ever since his loss in the national finals earlier this spring, speculation has abounded about the future for heavyweight wrestler Gable Steveson. Speculate no more.
Steveson announced himself that he will fight in the MMA. He announced the news on social media.
“It’s Gable Steveson here, Olympic champion and NCAA champion for the University of Minnesota,” Steveson said. “I’m here to tell you right now that I’ll be making my pro debut on LFA 217. See you then.”
LFA and Steveson jointly announced the news. He will debut on Sept. 12, when LFA 217 gets underway.
The event will take place in his home state of Minnesota at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake. So you can bet Gable Steveson will have a healthy crowd present to cheer him on.
The future for Steveson was unclear after he wrapped up his wrestling career with a national championship loss to Oklahoma State‘s Wyatt Hendrickson. Steveson himself was a two-time NCAA champion, so the loss was a bit stunning.
In recent months, Gable Steveson had been training in mixed martial arts, as well as following up with NFL teams. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2024 and played in the preseason before being cut.
Steveson had discussed his potential future on The Pat McAfee Show following his loss to Hendrickson. He opened up.
“I’m not happy with the results that happened this past weekend, but, you know, it’s a blessing to go out there in front of the crowd and from the biggest stage,” Steveson said. “Since leaving in 2022, I’ve always wanted to go out there and give one last good push for the University of Minnesota.
“And so that’s what I try to do. I try to make things as big as possible. And I love the show. I love going out there and feeling the jitters, having your heart race, and having a great opponent across from you and and whether it’s win or loss, the road doesn’t end for me, and I keep going forward.”
Gable Steveson will get to experience all of that once again in a new venue, as he takes on MMA. Starting in Minnesota should be a special experience.
“The sun always comes up the next day,” Steveson said. “But what’s next for me is I’ve been boxing. I’ve been putting on the gloves, doing jiu jitsu classes, trying to get ready for an MMA career. Right after I stepped off the mats Saturday night, just a couple calls from a few new teams in the NFL, and just, the roads keep opening.
“And I’m just so happy that I can go out there and put on my best performance, win or lose. Like I said, I’m always a showman. I go out there and, and I turn the crowd up. I show love, and if a guy gets his hand raised across from me, it’s respect as always. And so the doors are still opening, and I’m just so happy where I am today and where the future is going to take me.”
On3’s Nick Kosko also contributed to this report.
Category: General Sports
