From time to time, going to a new job isn’t for the best. Try as you might, it doesn’t work out. College wrestler Gable Steveson, who starred in the rescheduled Tokyo Summer Olympics three years ago for the United States and briefly performed in WWE, found that out firsthand in recent times.
2024 has been a challenging year for Steveson, who took a shot at the NFL with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive tackle during minicamp this past spring and in preseason games this summer. During a press scrum after a practice session, Steveson mentioned that he was fueled by a singular goal.
“Do the impossible,” Steveson began. “I won gold in the Olympics in 2020 after a last-second takedown. That’s near-impossible, but to win the Olympics, that’s not impossible. But in that instance, you want to be the best that you can and I want to come to a new field and be the best that I can.”
While Steveson didn’t survive the final roster cuts ahead of the regular season, only getting minimal playing time in exhibition games this past August, he remains undeterred and will resume his wrestling career on Friday night versus North Dakota State University on the road, winning by way of technical fall, before making his home return against Campbell University this Sunday.
Tonight's starting lineups for both teams as the Bison get set to take on @GopherWrestling pic.twitter.com/osvb3PSsAj
— NDSU Wrestling (@NDSUwrestling) November 22, 2024
Could MMA Be In Steveson’s Future?
Prior to making his college wrestling return this coming weekend, Steveson worked as one of Jon Jones’ training partners ahead of the UFC 309 main event on Nov. 16 from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Jones’ inclusion of Steveson in his training camp worked out well, successfully defending the UFC Heavyweight Championship in the headlining affair via third-round knockout.
When meeting with the media after the fight, Jones weighed in on a potential move to MMA for Steveson.
“He’s going to be scary,” the heavyweight champion began. “He’s going to be very scary when he decides to do MMA. He knows how to make men appear very weak– me being one of them. When he learns how to box and learns a little about jiu-jitsu, it’s not a matter of if he’ll become a UFC champion, it’s when he’ll be a UFC champion.”
Stevenson Hungry to Get Inside The Cage
Recently, Steveson was a guest of The Ariel Helwani Show. If his comments are any indication, a switchover to MMA may not be too far off after his college wrestling career, which has seen two National Championship victories in succession, ends.
“It was just so fascinating how I got into something so [quickly],” Stevenson recalled. “When I put on the gloves, everything felt like home base. With the wrestling, with the boxing work, with the jiu-jitsu, I feel like I’d be very good really quick.”
A return to the Minnesota wrestling team had been a long time in the making. The Golden Gophers’ official Twitter account posted a video announcing Steveson’s comeback on Nov. 12, one that was originally filmed in 2023.
Your attention please… pic.twitter.com/du4gkIIFvx
— Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) November 12, 2024
“I was supposed to wrestle last year and I decided not to,” Steveson told Helwani. “The timing wasn’t right, so we held the video this whole time.”
MMA Would Work Well For Steveson
If thought about, Gable Steveson in MMA would be a match made in heaven. He’s already got a decent resume in athletics as it is, having won two championships with Minnesota and a gold medal for his home country in the Summer Olympic Games.
Further, he’s a young prospect. Steveson is only 24 years of age and will not celebrate his 25th birthday until May of next year. After the Gophers wrestling season ends, whenever that might be, he can devote himself to the cage full-time.
As far as the weight class is concerned, he’s already a heavyweight in wrestling, so the weight cut wouldn’t be much of an issue ahead of any fight. Steveson has mentioned that he doesn’t have a preference of one organization over the other, so if he gets into the gym and does well over the next few years, any promotion would be grateful to have him on the active roster.
Final Thoughts
While Gable Steveson’s focus will be on the wrestling mat for now, don’t be surprised to see him make the jump to an MMA cage within the next couple of years.
You just might catch the next heavyweight champion of the world in the making if Steveson does turn his attention to the sport of MMA.
