Gable Steveson (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Gable Steveson’s amateur wrestling career was phenomenal. His path as a WWE superstar was not like AJ Styles.
Thanks to his release from WWE, Steveson is reportedly exploring several options for his next move and appears to be pursuing a career as a mixed martial artist.
Steveson is reportedly ready to return to competing with elite athletes. According to Steveson he trains with elite MMA coach Henri Hooft and former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at Kill Cliff FC, per Ariel Helwani on The MMA Show.
Watch the clip from Wednesday’s show:
Steveson, 23, won gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is also a two-time Division 1 wrestling champion and three-time Big Ten champion from the University of Minnesota.
The path to MMA seems natural, but Steveson has plenty of options per clip. Steveson’s agency has been contacted by “several NFL teams” interested in giving him a look in training camp.
Another year of collegiate wrestling could also follow, where NIL deals could put him in a great position to earn money while competing in the sport where he made his name.
That said, training with Hooft and Lawler’s people would indicate a seriousness associated with his interest in MMA.
Steveson could likely compete at heavyweight or light heavyweight, and based on his elite wrestling chops and quick-twitch athleticism, he could almost immediately make an impact.
The UFC is the premier mixed martial arts organization in the world, and the promotion is also under the TKO umbrella with WWE, so this is a feasible landing spot.
However, moving to compete in the UFC would essentially mean that Steveson is climbing into the deep end of the pool at the start of his MMA career.
However, there is a plan Steveson could follow if he signs with the UFC. Another standout wrestler Bo Nickal had a professional MMA fight when he participated in Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2022.
Nearly two years later, Nickal is 6-0 as a pro and was just a part of the main card for UFC 300, arguably the biggest MMA event in history.
Steveson is about two years younger than Nickal was when he began his professional MMA journey – at least from an official fighting perspective – so he may be placed on a slightly slower track.
Either way, there appears to be a path, and Nickal’s progress could encourage Steveson to take his pro career in that direction.
Steveson could also begin his career with the Professional Fighters League/Bellator, where he might not get the same attention early on. However, he could gain experience before making the jump to the UFC.
That’s the path another former Olympian, Kayla Harrison, followed as she made a triumphant promotional debut on the same UFC 300 show.
Having Steveson in the MMA mix is exciting, but we’re probably early. Still, it’s an interesting story for the rest of the year.
