Inside the cage, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist remains impressive.
Gable Steveson made his entry into mixed martial arts in 2025, picking up two quick wins to kick off his new path.
After two knockouts that took just over two minutes combined, many have been backing the accomplished wrestler to do well in the UFC Octagon. That includes Jon Jones, who serves as his coach and mentor.
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Joe Rogan also believes in Steveson’s potential in MMA, even suggesting he could already hold his own against several fighters ranked in the UFC heavyweight top 10.
A few more may share that view now after the 25-year-old improved to 3-0 on Thursday night.
Gable Steveson survives clean wheel kick to stop Hugo Lezama via TKO at MFL 3
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
He made his professional debut at LFA 217, finishing the fight in just one minute and 38 seconds.
His follow-up performance came even quicker. Fighting under the Anthony Pettis FC banner, Steveson delivered a brutal knockout in just 24 seconds, further fueling the excitement around his transition to MMA.
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In his first bout of 2026, Steveson headlined Mexico Fight League 3 against Hugo Lezama. While he once again showed his ability to control a fight early, not everything went smoothly on February 19th.
The two-time NCAA Division I national champion took Lezama down and began unloading ground strikes, eventually forcing the referee to stop the contest just under four minutes into round one.
Before that finish, though, Steveson had to take some punishment for the first time in his young career.
Lezama caught him flush with a spinning wheel kick – and while Steveson did not go down – it was a reminder that even early hype trains can be derailed. The loss dropped Lezama’s record to 11-4.
Dana White is keeping his eyes on Gable Steveson
Dana White will be among those keen to observe how Steveson fared in his most recent MMA appearance.
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UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard saw the Olympic medalist firsthand during his Dirty Boxing knockout and White discussed bringing him aboard during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show.
The UFC boss said: “When you have somebody that’s a physical freak, an incredible athlete, and a guy who has competed at the highest level, and then they start transitioning into a combat sport like this, it’s very interesting.
“We’re definitely keeping our eyes on him, and we’ll see how this plays out.”
The UFC heavyweight division has been struggling due to injuries and lack of depth. With that context in mind, it may be time for them to speed up their timeline for giving Steveson an opportunity within their ranks.
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