Is Gable Steveson going to MMA?
The past week has been an interesting one for the former WWE star. Last Saturday, his opponent, Wyatt Hendrickson pulled off one of the greatest upset victories in NCAA Wrestling as he beat Olympic champion Gable Steveson.
That was the first takedown Steveson had suffered all season and even before that moment, it seemed that the 24-year-old had the match locked before the stunning comeback. Steveson’s been gracious about the shocking loss, and he is still a two-time a two-time NCAA Division I national champion and an Olympic Gold medalist.
That means the future still remains bright for Stevenson as he did have a strong season, even if it ended with a loss. Prior to his return to amateur wrestling, Steveson tried his hand at the WWE, but that didn’t work out too well. Gable even tried to go to the NFL, but that also didn’t work out as Steveson was released before the 2024 season started.
So what’s next for the Olympic Gold Medalist?
It might be MMA. Steveson talked about his future on the Pat McAfee Show. Though his plans aren’t official, it does seem that he’s taking MMA a bit more seriously now.
“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 or right after I stepped off the mats Saturday night, just a couple of calls from a few new teams in the NFL,” Steveson revealed. “The roads just 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 I turn the crowd up and I show love and if a guy gets his hand raised across from me, it’s respect as always. The doors are still opening and I’m just so happy where I am today and where the future is going to take me.”
Steveson is also being training by UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. He accepted an invite to help the UFC star last year to prepare for his title defense against Stipe Miocic.
“Just making sure I can get my hands certified and ready,” Steveson said about his preparation for fighting. “Just making sure that I can see punches coming and make sure that I’m comfortable in the cage and comfortable with guys in front of me that are going to be throwing huge haymakers and getting in and getting out of the way. I’ve got a great mentor right now, I hope a lot of people know a guy named Jon Jones — just a fantastic dude and the greatest fighter of all time. He’s pretty damn good.
“I appreciate his efforts of trying to lead me into the right direction and kind of taking my back and giving me the direction that I need. I’m really young and he’s been there and done that before so I’m really appreciative of how he’s kind of walked my steps leading into this next chapter, if that’s what it is.”
Dana White has expressed interest in Gable Steveson in the past. In fact, the UFC CEO reportedly wanted him on Dana White’s Contender Series. This was when both WWE and UFC were interested in him, and Steveson opted to go the WWE route. There’s no word on whether White is still interested in bringing in the Olympic Gold Medalist.