As an amateur wrestler, Gable Steveson made tremendous strides across the wrestling world. At only early 2o’s, the Minnesota native became a five-time All-American, Olympic gold medalist, and NCAA champion: achievements so rare that only a handful of athletes can claim them. With his star power rising, Steveson ventured into pro wrestling, but deep down, there was always that fire to prove himself in the world of mixed martial arts; the ultimate proving ground for all forms of fighting.

In a 2021 interview with Ariel Helwani, Steveson made his intentions crystal clear, saying, “I’m holding the gold medal, and I’m the baddest wrestler on the planet. Why wouldn’t I want to go out there and be the baddest UFC heavyweight champion?” And four years after those words, in 2025, the former NCAA champ proved he wasn’t just talking. He showed the MMA world that he’s ready to leap into the big leagues by winning his LFA debut and following it up with another victory at DBX 4. Sure, some might argue his martial arts experience is still limited, but make no mistake, it’s high time Dana White signs Steveson to the UFC’s heavyweight division. Let’s explore why.

Gable Steveson has massive American wrestling fan support already   

Steveson has undoubtedly become one of the most well-known combat sports athletes of recent times, and much of that credit goes to his career as an amateur wrestler. His fanbase began building during his collegiate wrestling days, but in 2021, Steveson entered his golden run of popularity when he dominated the NCAA competition and won it in commanding fashion.

Following that, the young powerhouse stepped onto the biggest stage, the 2021 Olympics, where he defeated Geno Petriashvili in the finals and celebrated his gold medal with his signature cartwheel while carrying 275 pounds of pure muscle. That moment transformed Steveson into a superstar in American freestyle wrestling. Honestly, many athletes would’ve been content and possibly retired after reaching such heights, but for Gable, this was only the beginning.

In 2022, he returned to the NCAA tournament with the goal of repeating his previous year’s dominance, and he did exactly that, mirroring his reign with another spectacular performance. But after securing his second NCAA title, Steveson decided to hang up his wrestling shoes in front of a cheering crowd, officially ending his freestyle wrestling chapter. And if that’s not a sign of popularity, then what is?

While his countrymen stood firmly behind him throughout his wrestling journey, Steveson’s rise could also be measured in numbers. According to a 2021 post on X (formerly Twitter) by the Big Ten Network, the former freestyle wrestler had 245,000 Instagram followers, the highest among all Big Ten athletes, and that number has since skyrocketed to 1.4 million in 2025. This massive growth reflects the impact of his brief but headline-making stint in WWE, where he became the second Olympic gold medalist signed by the company after the legendary Kurt Angle.

Even while performing on the grand stage of sports entertainment, Steveson made a surprising return to NCAA freestyle wrestling this year. Although he lost the final against Wyatt Hendrickson, one of the biggest upsets in American freestyle wrestling history, the match went viral. X’s founder, Elon Musk, posted the highlight clip on his platform, and it has now racked up 54.9 million views. To top it off, Steveson’s post-fight interview on ESPN has already hit 7 million views.

So, with those numbers and unforgettable moments, it’s clear the hype around Gable Steveson is very real. But it’s not just hype; he’s got the skills to back it up inside the MMA cage as well. 

The ex-NCAA champion has received strong support from notable UFC figures.

With such an illustrious freestyle wrestling career, Gable Steveson started turning some massive heads in the UFC. Industry experts like Chael Sonnen began talking about how Steveson could actually follow the path of Brock Lesnar and become a champion in the biggest MMA promotion in the world. In a 2022 episode of Beyond the Fight, ‘The Bad Guy’ himself made that comparison between their journeys, speaking with confidence in his conviction.

He said, “Brock was an undefeated NCAA champion. Went on to become a world champion within the UFC, went on to become the world champion within the WWE. Same steps that Gable is following.” But it wasn’t just Sonnen who only showed that level of interest. His ESPN podcast partner, Daniel Cormier, went even a step further.

“Gable Steveson in fighting would be a world champion,” ‘DC’ told MMA Fighting in an interview back in 2022. The former two-division UFC champion is also a former Olympic wrestler, so he sees a clear path for Steveson’s wrestling base to help him transition smoothly into MMA. Moreover, Cormier claimed that Steveson isn’t just gifted with world-class wrestling skills. His experience performing in WWE has also added that entertainment factor, something Dana White absolutely loves in a UFC fighter.

Daniel Cormier added in the MMA Fighting interview, “Now, with the NIL deals, he’s so marketable. He could still cash in, but the reality is it seems he’s made his mind up to go on to bigger and better things. I believe that he’s going to be fantastic. The kid is an entertainer. He gets it.”

So, these are two mainstream MMA experts who believe Gable Steveson could make it big in the UFC. But they aren’t the only ones. Even Ben Askren posted on X, claiming that nobody could beat the Minnesota native if he started training seriously in mixed martial arts. And that’s some incredible backing for Steveson. But what about Steveson himself? Does he actually understand what this game is about?

Well, Gable cleared that question up, though a little later. He told Ariel Helwani in a 2025 interview, “Wrestling, you prepare for one seven-minute match, and in MMA, you can prepare for 15 minutes straight of just going out there and brawling with somebody, and someone is going to fall.” Accepting that MMA is a little different, he ended it by saying that although it’s a different game, he gets an adrenaline rush from it because it’s unlike anything he’s ever experienced in freestyle wrestling.

And finally, after earning the backing of some of the best former UFC fighters, Steveson found the perfect mentor and coach to guide him toward greatness. None other than the UFC GOAT Jon Jones himself. 

Steveson’s growth will skyrocket under Jon Jones’ coaching 

Currently, Gable Steveson and Jon Jones have been emerging as the new teacher-student duo in the MMA world. Although it’s not clear when they actually met, the freestyle wrestler was part of ‘Bones’ camp while preparing for Stipe Miocic ahead of the UFC 309 clash. So, it would be safe to say they developed a camaraderie while spending time together in camp. However, the question remains, why did the former two-division champ decide to coach him?

To understand that, we need to look at Steveson’s interview with Mike Perry on the OverDogs podcast, which happened on May 10th, 2025, where he said, “When Jon finally hangs it up, the next best guy in the line is Tom Aspinall. Someone’s gotta take that off his shoulder. You always wanna go against Tom Aspinall.” The former NCAA champ said these words right around the time Jones went to Thailand, and the rivalry with Aspinall reached a boiling point. But that’s not all.

Steveson ended up calling out Alexander Volkov and Ciryl Gane in the same interview. So, that might be why ‘Bones’ saw a protégé in him, someone he could pass the torch to. Following that, Jones eventually retired from the sport, then briefly came back to fight at UFC White House. After that, some fans started seeing Steveson as the one to take Jones’s place. Still, with no MMA fight to his name, there was plenty of skepticism. But Steveson ended up silencing his critics.

At LFA 217, the former freestyle kingpin completely obliterated Braden Peterson in his MMA debut. Sure, some criticism was understandable, as Steveson knocked out a rookie, but it was also true that he showcased surprisingly sharp hands. That performance was enough for Jones to believe that Steveson could indeed become a UFC champion in the future; it was just a matter of time.

After Steveson got his maiden MMA win, ‘Bones’ posted on X, “It’s not a matter of if he can, it’s a matter of when. I’ve had many great teammates over the years, but I’ve always said if I would ever be a coach, it would have to be a wrestler who was completely committed to success. I found my guy, and I’m excited to add world championship coach to my resume.”

Now, that’s huge coming from a former champion like Jon Jones. After receiving that compliment, Steveson decided to showcase his knockout power once again, this time against former Bellator and PFL fighter Billy Swanson, knocking him out in just 15 seconds at Dirty Boxing’s recent Nashville event. That’s two spectacular knockouts in a row.

So, Jones grows more confident as Steveson gets ready to take on the big dogs. At this point, it’s hard to believe Dana White would be far from signing him into the heavyweight division. 

Why the 25-year-old could be Dana White’s next heavyweight star

The UFC’s heavyweight division has been drawing criticism from fans for lacking the massive stars it once had. For quite some time, the division felt shallow beyond the top 10, making it a top-heavy class that lacked much-needed depth. However, lately, some serious contenders have started to rise through the ranks.

For instance, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s teammate, Ante Delija, scored a stellar victory over top-10 opponent Marcin Tybura at UFC Paris and is now set to face #6-ranked Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC Apex this weekend. Similarly, Brazilian phenom Valter Walker has been on a tremendous rise, already making history as the first fighter to win four consecutive bouts by heel hook.

The heavyweight division is slowly but surely picking up momentum with new contenders emerging, and adding Gable Steveson to the mix could take it to another level. Now, you have a former Olympic and NCAA champion who can also throw devastating punches. His arrival in the 265-pound division would create an incredible storyline as well. Imagine Jon Jones’ protégé chasing Tom Aspinall, or the UFC heavyweight gold in general. The division would definitely enter an exciting new era upon his arrival.

On top of that, Steveson happens to have a great relationship with Dana White, who has long been intrigued by what the former Olympian could bring to the table. In a TMZ interview back in 2021, the UFC CEO expressed his early interest in Steveson, saying, “So we’re very supportive of Olympic wrestling and yeah, he’ll [Steveson] be in town this weekend, so I think we’re going to hook up and talk,” while also noting that Steveson would have to show some work before earning a UFC contract.

Four years later, it’s safe to say Gable Steveson has shown that work. With his LFA victory and explosive knockout power on display at the DBX event, he’s proven he has what it takes to build a legitimate career in MMA. At this point, Dana White could very well sign him to the promotion and start building him as one of the UFC’s future stars.

That said, what do you think? Should Dana White sign the former NCAA champ soon, or would you rather see Steveson gain a bit more experience before stepping into the UFC? Let us know in the comments below.