Is Gable Steveson ready to perform in the UFC? That’s what fans have been saying after the former Olympian started making waves with his recent performances. Under Jon Jones’ mentorship, the five-time All-American made his MMA debut in style by knocking out Braden Peterson at LFA 217. Then, he followed it up with another violent KO at Dirty Boxing’s Nashville event over former PFL and Bellator fighter Billy Swanson. After scoring back-to-back knockouts, Steveson called his shot to be in the UFC.

At DBX 4, UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was present when the former Olympian flatlined his opponent in just a 15-second. Following that stellar knockout, Steveson pitched at the post-fight interview, “Mick, you’ve seen a little bit. I would love to show a lot more. Hopefully, you believe in me, and I appreciate you.” That moment might’ve sparked serious interest from the UFC brass and Dana White, especially since the heavyweight division could use Gable’s star power. However, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson believes the promotion should build the 25-year-old heavyweight’s path like Bo Nickal’s, as the UFC clearly sees a bright future for him.

Dana White should let Gable Steveson develop like Bo Nickal before his UFC debut 

On the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson said, “Gable, man, great performance, dirty boxing, big power, big shots, the real deal. Obviously, the wrestling is there. Compact body, like he’s not a huge guy. He’s thick, but he’s not tall—maybe six feet. Not a big guy, but thick, short, stout, got a great personality, has a good look, very marketable. If I’m the UFC, I’m thinking, okay, let’s take a little bit of the Bo Nickal approach. Let him get a couple of fights outside, see how he does. I got to see him get challenged a little more.”

‘The Punk’ definitely presented a sensible take by suggesting Steveson fight more before joining the UFC. Still, it’s worth noting that if the former NCAA champ decides to test himself further inside the cage, his path will likely look a little different from Nickal’s. Before performing at Dana White’s Contender Series, Nickal had only one pro-MMA fight under Jorge Masvidal’s IKON FC banner, and as an amateur, he also competed in Island Fights

Although those are decent promotions, Nickal’s lack of strong competition showed when he faced an experienced opponent like Reinier de Ridder, a former ONE Championship titleholder. The difference in experience was clear, as ‘RDR’ completely dominated him at UFC Des Moines. With that in mind, Gable needs to put himself in competition against tougher opponents at places like Brave FC, Oktagon MMA, or even stay in LFA for a few more fights before making the jump to the UFC.

Steveson is only 25 years old, with his entire future ahead of him. So, a couple of years of experience would do wonders before he steps in with the big dogs of the UFC heavyweight division. Yet, whether Dana White would actually sign him soon or wait till he proves himself remains to be seen. That said, while the former Olympian still has time to grow, the same might not be true for Bo Nickal, who’s already stepping into his next fight at UFC 322.

Thomson is interested to see how Nickal performs at UFC 322 

After losing to Reinier de Ridder, Bo Nickal faced a wave of backlash from UFC fans for not living up to the hype. Considering de Ridder’s experience as a former world champion, it’s fair to say the competition might have been a bit overwhelming for the Penn State native. However, on November 15th, Nickal, once considered one of the hottest prospects in MMA, will get his shot at redemption against Rodolfo Vieira. And Josh Thomson seems eager to see how he responds.

Sharing his thoughts on the Weighing In podcast, the former UFC fighter said, “The UFC took a chance with Bo Nickal. They went out on the Bo thing, even told him to get some more fights, and then come back. Eventually, they signed him, and now, coming off a loss against RDR, let’s see how he fights now. We’re gonna see how he fights now.”

Well, that’s exactly why the UFC initially planned for him to start on the Madison Square Garden card. Honestly, Nickal definitely has solid popularity among the American audience, and fans have invested in his storyline to see if he can bounce back from a tough loss. But just before UFC 322, the promotion decided to move his fight to the prelims, leaving a banger lightweight bout to open the night. 

Now, it’ll be interesting to see whether Nickal can actually perform under pressure, as there are plenty of questions and expectations riding on him. If he manages to pull off a victory in his next fight, the former freestyle wrestler could very well inspire someone like Gable Steveson to follow his path and make his own mark in the UFC. What do you think? Comment down below.