Standout freestyle wrestler Gable Stevenson has officially signed on to make his highly-anticipated MMA debut. <\/p>\n
A two-time NCAA Division 1 national champion and a gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Stevenson has long been considered a potential can\u2019t-miss prospect by combat sports fans hoping to see him make the jump over to MMA. <\/p>\n
Following a brief professional wrestling stint with the WWE and and attempt to break into professional football with the NFL\u2019s Buffalo Bills, the 25-year-old has finally booked his professional MMA debut for September 12. <\/p>\n
Set to compete in the heavyweight division (which in MMA encompasses everything above light heavyweight up to 266 lbs.) Stevenson will step into the cage for the first time to meet Braden Peterson at Legacy Fight Alliance (LFA) 217, which takes place at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: 4 big UFC fights confirmed for Charles Oliveira’s homecoming event<\/a><\/p>\n The LFA is well-established as one of the premier proving grounds for top MMA prospects looking to break into the UFC<\/a>, and earlier this week former LFA fighters Jose Delano and Josh Hokit both earned UFC contracts<\/a> with victories on Week 2 of Dana White\u2019s Contender Series<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stevenson gets the chance to make his professional fighting debut in the same state where he had so much success as a wrestler at the University of Minnesota, and he thrilled to announce the news in a video shared on the LFA\u2019s social media. <\/p>\n Gable Steveson \ud83e\udd47@gablesteveson1<\/a> <\/p>\n Get your tickets: https:\/\/t.co\/luT3VSzle0<\/a>#LFA217<\/a> Takes place Friday, September 12th at the @MysticLake<\/a> Casino Hotel in #PriorLake<\/a> #Minnesota<\/a> <\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf2 @UFCFightPass<\/a> #LFAPriorLake<\/a> #LFA217<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/n2PowPBcvw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 LFA (@LFAfighting) August 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Both Stevenson and Peterson will be competing under the LFA banner for the first time on September 12, although the 37-year-old Peterson already kicked off his own professional MMA career this summer when he stopped Chris Thompson in just 14 seconds at Montana\u2019s Fusion Fight League in July.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Khamzat Chimaev’s next UFC fight could be decided in Vancouver main event<\/a><\/p>\n While he may not boast Stevenson\u2019s extensive wrestling credentials, Peterson\u2019s current pro record doesn\u2019t give the full story of his overall MMA experience. \u201cBloodaxe\u201d also competed in five amateur bouts from January to April of this year and finished four-straight opponents before suffering his first loss against Wayne Roberts in his final amateur outing. <\/p>\n Stevenson\u2019s MMA debut certainly adds a considerable amount of intrigue for fans that are looking ahead to LFA 217, which also features a headlining fight between the undefeated Mitchell McKee and fellow bantamweight prospect Christian Strong. <\/p>\n \u2022 Ex-UFC champ rips Dricus du Plessis for ‘disappointing’ loss to Khamzat Chimaev<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Ex-Champ warns only stars like Conor McGregor will cash in on UFC\u2019s $7.7 billion deal<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Former UFC champ Francis Ngannou leaves MMA fans guessing on return<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 UFC fans devastated as beloved champion unretires at 43 for bareknuckle fight<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with MMAKnockout<\/a> for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n