After a failed WWE tenure, followed by a return to NCAA Division I wrestling, only to miss out on a historic three-peat, Gable Steveson is ready for his next challenge. The Olympic gold winner had been training in MMA for a while, even training with former two-weight UFC champion Jon Jones. Now, Steveson is finally set to make his debut in one of the most popular regional promotions.

The news of Gable Steveson’s MMA debut has made a lot of rounds on social media, garnering reactions from not only combat sports athletes but also from other sports as well. Among that bunch is an NFL star, who’s pretty excited for the former Olympic champ’s MMA debut, as he shared a message on Instagram.

Buffalo Bills Star Sums Up His Feelings About Gable Steveson’s MMA Debut in One Word

Gable Steveson’s former NFL teammate from the Buffalo Bills, an NFL franchise worth around $5.9 billion, seems to be one of the latest personalities to react to the news of his upcoming MMA debut in the Legacy Fighting Alliance. It was none other than Dion Dawkins, who has developed a cordial relationship with the 25-year-old former Olympian.

Dion Dawkins had just one word to add, and that encompassed his feelings about witnessing his former teammate fight. “Activated,” said the Buffalo Bills star on his Instagram stories. He seems to be fully on board with Gable Steveson embracing a new challenge in his professional life. His MMA debut news has sparked a lot of excitement and enthusiasm, and Steveson can be sure that Dawkins will be tuned in when he steps inside the cage for the first time.

Well, we are not that far away from witnessing Gable Steveson’s debut fight. Not only will Dion Dawkins be watching that fight, but many UFC fighters will be, too. So, before we get to it, let’s take a look at the details about his debut matchup. So, here’s what we know.

Details of Steveson’s Debut in the Legacy Fighting Alliance

Gable Steveson will make his MMA debut just a day before Mexican Independence Day at LFA 217. His opponent, Braden Paterson, is 37 years old and a heavyweight with a record of 1-0, with the only win of his career coming via a knockout in just 14 seconds. The Olympic champion will have to watch out for Paterson when they collide at the Mystic Lake Casino in Minnesota.

The Legacy Fighting Alliance, as we’ve mentioned already, is a popular regional promotion, known for putting on great fights. Many of those fighters make their way eventually into the UFC, so it’s a great place for Gable Steveson to kick off his MMA career and gain experience while impressing Dana White to one day hand him a contract to move to the Las Vegas-based promotion.

There will certainly be a lot of eyes when Gable Steveson steps inside the cage for the first time. His post-Olympic ventures haven’t gone well, so he will be hoping to make his move into mixed martial arts count. What are your predictions for Steveson’s MMA debut? Drop your comments below.