Brett OkamotoApr 12, 2026, 01:48 AM ET
CloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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U.S. Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson signed with the UFC.
UFC officials announced Steveson’s signing during Saturday’s UFC 327 broadcast in Miami. Steveson, who is considered one of the best prospects in mixed martial arts, is expected to make his promotional debut during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week card in July in Las Vegas.
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Steveson (3-0) is one of the most accomplished heavyweight wrestlers of all time. He was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler at the University of Minnesota and now trains alongside MMA legend Jon Jones. Steveson made his third professional appearance in MMA in February, when he defeated 11-year veteran Hugo Lezama in the first round of an event in Mexico. All three of Steveson’s MMA wins have come in the first round via knockout.
Before his bout in February, Steveson told ESPN that he had hoped to fight alongside Jones at the UFC’s White House card June 14. The UFC did not book Jones a fight at that event, and his future in MMA is uncertain.
Steveson, 25, won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in dramatic fashion, rallying from an 8-5 deficit in the final 10 seconds of his 125-kilogram matchup against Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili to post an improbable 10-8 victory.