UFC sign Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson for July debut
Olympic wrestling gold medallist Gable Steveson has signed a contract with the UFC and will make his promotional debut in Las Vegas this July.
The 25-year-old was officially unveiled to fans during the broadcast of UFC 327 in Miami.
He was seated in the crowd alongside Jon Jones as his arrival in the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation was confirmed.
Steveson is scheduled to make his first octagon appearance on 11 July at UFC 329 during International Fight Week.
An opponent for the highly anticipated heavyweight bout has yet to be announced.
Rapid rise in mixed martial arts
The American athlete transitioned to cage fighting after departing professional wrestling organisation WWE last May.
He boasts a flawless professional record of three victories, with all of those wins coming via first-round knockout.
His most recent MMA outing featured a devastating left hook that stopped Kevin Hein in just 24 seconds last November.
The Tokyo 2021 gold medallist also secured a 15-second knockout in a Dirty Boxing bout against Billy Swanson.
Following that dominant performance, he directly addressed UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard from the ring.
“Mick, you’ve seen a little bit, I would love to show you a lot more. Hopefully you believe in me and I appreciate you.”
Heavyweight division landscape
Steveson’s arrival adds considerable pedigree to a division currently experiencing significant shifts.
Prior to his full-time commitment to combat sports, the heavyweight briefly spent three months with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
He now enters a weight class where reigning champion Tom Aspinall is recovering from a severe eye injury.
In the British fighter’s absence, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane are scheduled to contest an interim title later this summer.
Former UFC contender and fellow Olympic wrestler Ben Askren has already backed the new signing to make an immediate impact.
“Gable can be champ in 18 months.”
