Steveson wins MMA debut via 1st-round TKO at LFA 217

Gable Steveson made the most of his MMA debut.

The Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling defeated Braden Peterson via first-round TKO at LFA 217 on Friday, with the referee stopping the bout just 1:38 in.

Fighting in front of his home-state crowd at the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota, Steveson was accompanied to the cage by former UFC champion Jon Jones.

Steveson, a two-time Division I champion in wrestling, announced his move to MMA in August by signing with Legacy Fighting Alliance. The 25-year-old previously spent time in WWE from 2021-2024. He then had a brief stint in football, joining the NFL's Buffalo Bills in the summer of 2024 before being released.

Steveson's LFA debut was billed as the biggest MMA arrival since Brock Lesnar. The two fighters' paths share many similarities. A Division I wrestling champion himself, Lesnar also spent time with WWE before trying out for the NFL and then turning his sights on MMA, where he became a UFC heavyweight champion and one of the sport's biggest stars.