Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson is set to make his professional mixed martial arts debut. The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) announced via X that Steveson has signed with the promotion and will compete at LFA 217 on September 12.
This move marks Steveson’s third venture into professional sports following a highly anticipated but brief tenure with WWE and a short-lived attempt to join the NFL.
Steveson’s first opponent will be heavyweight Braden Peterson. The event is scheduled to take place at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota, Steveson’s home state, and will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
After winning a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Steveson signed with WWE. His time with the company included only one televised match, an NXT contest against Baron Corbin that resulted in a double count-out. He was released in May 2024. Following his WWE exit, Steveson signed with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills but was released from the practice squad.
Steveson’s transition to MMA has been in development since late 2024. He has trained at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, notably alongside former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Before his MMA debut, Steveson is also scheduled for a grappling match against Craig Jones on August 31 in Las Vegas.