Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is aiming for another victory at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships, where he’s trying to become a three-time champion for the University of Minnesota.
Looking beyond wrestling, including a possible return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, Steveson, who is 24, is still considering a move to MMA. While he’s talked about fighting before, he took a significant step last year by joining Jon Jones’ training camp to help prepare Jones for his fight with Stipe Miocic.
Steveson approaches every sport with a champion’s mentality and expects to do the same when he eventually enters MMA.
“I’m young and eager,” Steveson said. “I want to be the best at everything I do.”
Many wrestlers have moved to MMA, but their success rates vary.
Bo Nickal, a three-time NCAA champion, has seen remarkably fast progress in MMA since focusing on it. He has a perfect 7-0 record, including four UFC wins, and is scheduled for his fifth UFC fight in May against former ONE Championship two-division champion Reinier de Ridder.
Despite the high expectations surrounding him, Nickal has performed well, and many believe he will win a UFC championship.
Steveson is impressed with Nickal’s journey and sees him as a role model for wrestlers entering MMA.
“Bo is incredible,” Steveson stated. “Bo has a presence; when he competes, you know he’s a three-time National Champion, a U23 World Champ, and an Olympic alternate. He has all the qualities to be a champion.”
“He has a unique style. He’s tall, and his takedowns are very effective, especially in the UFC. His cage control is also good. As he faces tougher opponents, his wrestling background and transition skills will be crucial.”
Besides training with Jones for the Miocic fight last November, Steveson has also trained at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, alongside fighters like Michael Chandler, Gilbert Burns, and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Steveson hasn’t fully dedicated himself to MMA yet, but he hopes to make rapid progress in his MMA career, similar to Nickal.
“I’ll let people judge my talent,” Steveson said. “But personally, I believe I can compete with anyone, anytime. I think I can perform well and hold my own right now.”
“When the time is right — and we’ll know when it is — that opportunity will come, and I’ll succeed and advance as much as possible in MMA.”
For now, Steveson is focused on winning his third NCAA title and has started strong with a pin in his first match and another dominant win to reach the quarterfinals on Friday.
