Gable Steveson, mentored by former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, has done it again. The Olympic gold medalist wrestler continued his flawless transition into mixed martial arts after debuting at LFA 217 in September, where he stopped Braden Peterson via first-round TKO in under two minutes. This weekend, he raised the bar even higher.

25-year-old Steveson faced Kevin Hein at APFC 21, the promotion led by former UFC champion Anthony Pettis, after being elevated to the main event. And he delivered. The two-time NCAA Division I champion produced a devastating 24-second first-round knockout over Hein, pushing his professional MMA record to a dominant 2–0.

Gable Steveson is fast-tracking his way to the UFC roster

Full Send MMA shared a clip of the fight on X with the caption, “Gable Steveson just flatlined Kevin Hein in 30 seconds. Now 2-0 in pro MMA. Send him to the UFC.” The footage showed Steveson dipping low for a takedown while simultaneously coming over the top with a devastating left hand that caught Hein clean.

Hein collapsed instantly, and Gable Steveson continued driving forward as if completing the takedown, but the bout was already finished. Hein lay unconscious, prompting the referee to intervene. The highlight arrives shortly after Steveson’s lightning-fast finish at the Dirty Boxing Championship—a bout that doesn’t count toward his official MMA record.

In that fight, Steveson needed just 15 seconds to stop Billy Swanson. UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was cageside, which is why Steveson said, “Mick, you’ve seen a little bit,” adding, “but I hope to show a lot more.” After this latest win, Steveson mentioned him again, pushing for his UFC debut. However, after Steveson’s fight clip hit X, it wasn’t just Steveson talking about a UFC debut.

Fan credits Jon Jones for escalating Steveson’s striking

It didn’t take long for the public to start talking. One user felt Steveson can compete against UFC’s top 15. “He can definitely hang with unranked heavyweights in UFC and probably the top 15,” the user commented. However, UFC’s heavyweight scene isn’t in the best shape to begin with. 

The next user claimed Jon Jones’ influence over Steveson is becoming evident. “Okay, the fact that he hit him and went for the takedown means Gable didn’t hit hard at all but was setting up his shot. Can you imagine him sitting down on punches? Jon Jones is definitely accelerating his striking. I’m stunned,” the user commented. However, can he maintain the same performance in the UFC? 

Meanwhile, this user took a jibe at Ciryl Gane. “Nice open hands to the face. He’s ready for the UFC heavyweight division,” the user wrote. This is, of course, a reference to Gane’s double eye poke incident in the Tom Aspinall fight. 

Someone else predicted that Gable Steveson is already a top 15 if he joins the UFC. “Since he’s a hw, he literally probably already a top 15 hw in UFC lol,” the user wrote. The user is poking fun at UFC’s drying heavyweight roster. 

Another user already has an opponent in mind for Steveson. “Book him against Greg Hardy next,” the user wrote. However, Greg Hardy last fought in the UFC back in March 2022 when he suffered a TKO loss to Serghei Spivac at UFC 272. He has been fighting in boxing matches and exhibitions outside the promotion since then. 

Having said that, it appears Gable Steveson has made quite an impression on fans. While he might not join the UFC right away, the day it happens shouldn’t be far away, especially with performances like the latest one. Do you think he is ready?