Olympic Gold Medalist and former WWE superstar Gable Steveson has made a successful and dominant debut in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Competing for the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) at their LFA 217 event, Steveson defeated Braden Peterson with a first-round victory, beginning his professional MMA career with a perfect 1-0 record.
The victory was a much-needed one for Steveson, whose post-Olympic career has been a series of starts and stops. After winning the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, Steveson signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2021. Despite a great deal of hype surrounding his signing, his professional wrestling career never truly took off. His only televised match for the company was a double count-out draw against Baron Corbin at the 2023 NXT Great American Bash, and he was released from his contract in May of 2024.
Following his WWE release, Steveson briefly pursued a career in professional football, signing a contract with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. However, his time in the NFL was also short-lived, as he did not make the team’s practice squad. He then returned to the world of amateur wrestling in March of this year to compete in the NCAA tournament, but he was defeated in the finals by Wyatt Hendrickson in what was considered an upset.
Now, with a first-round victory in his professional MMA debut, Steveson appears to have found a sport where his incredible athletic gifts can be fully utilized. The transition from high-level amateur wrestling to MMA has been a successful one for many athletes in the past, and Steveson’s pedigree as an Olympic Gold Medalist makes him one of the most intriguing prospects to enter the sport in recent years.
Gable Steveson MAULS Braden Peterson in the first round of his MMA debut.
WHAT A START TO HIS CAREER 🔥 #LFA217 @LFAfighting pic.twitter.com/cN1zffVCU3
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) September 13, 2025
