![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/gallery_image__66_-e1653600060104-678x381.jpg\" "\\"gable")
\nPhoto Courtesy: Brad Rempel<\/p>\n
\nPhoto Courtesy: Brad Rempel<\/p>\n
Gable Steveson, a freestyle wrestling Olympic gold medalist who had a developmental stint in WWE, is now set for his professional MMA debut.<\/p>\n
Steveson will step into the cage at LFA 217 on September 12 at the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota, the promotion revealed this week.<\/a> Steveson will take on heavyweight Braden Peterson, who is coming off a 14-second win in his pro debut just last month.<\/p>\n Steveson was a dominant force in heavyweight wrestling, both at a collegiate level and on the world stage. Representing the University of Minnesota, Steveson won gold at the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Division I Championships and won four different Big Ten Championships.<\/p>\n He also appeared at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he won the 125 kg class for freestyle wrestling.<\/p>\n Steveson attempted to parlay his amateur wrestling success into a career with the WWE in recent years, although the run was not a success. He wrestled just 17 matches for the company from 2023 to early 2024, just one of which was televised. Steveson would later comment on the run, saying it \u201cwasn\u2019t the right time\u201d for him to give pro wrestling a try.<\/p>\n Other opportunities were tested before recently turning to MMA. Steveson returned to collegiate wrestling, where he suffered a massive upset loss earlier this year,<\/a> preventing him from taking a third Division I title. He also trained as part of the NFL Buffalo Bills practice squad in 2024.<\/p>\n Pursuing MMA hasn\u2019t been a new concept for Steveson. The wrestler reportedly eyed<\/a> a UFC deal prior to signing with WWE in 2021, although the promotion wanted him to get more experience in the sport before eventually getting a spot on Dana White\u2019s Contender Series, a show which offers opportunities to earn a deal with the company.<\/p>\n