Olympic gold medalist & NCAA champion announces date for first pro MMA fight

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 1:02 PM ET

(ESPN)

Standout freestyle wrestler Gable Stevenson has officially signed on to make his highly-anticipated MMA debut.

A two-time NCAA Division 1 national champion and a gold medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Stevenson has long been considered a potential can’t-miss prospect by combat sports fans hoping to see him make the jump over to MMA.

Following a brief professional wrestling stint with the WWE and and attempt to break into professional football with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, the 25-year-old has finally booked his professional MMA debut for September 12.

Gable Stevenson Makes MMA Debut At LFA 217

Set to compete in the heavyweight division (which in MMA encompasses everything above light heavyweight up to 266 lbs.) Stevenson will step into the cage for the first time to meet Braden Peterson at Legacy Fight Alliance (LFA) 217, which takes place at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota.

The LFA is well-established as one of the premier proving grounds for top MMA prospects looking to break into the UFC, and earlier this week former LFA fighters Jose Delano and Josh Hokit both earned UFC contracts with victories on Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Stevenson gets the chance to make his professional fighting debut in the same state where he had so much success as a wrestler at the University of Minnesota, and he thrilled to announce the news in a video shared on the LFA’s social media.

Gable Steveson @gablesteveson1

Get your tickets: https://t.co/luT3VSzle0 #LFA217 Takes place Friday, September 12th at the @MysticLake Casino Hotel in #PriorLake #Minnesota

@UFCFightPass #LFAPriorLake #LFA217 pic.twitter.com/n2PowPBcvw
— LFA (@LFAfighting) August 19, 2025

Stevenson's Opponent Already Turned Pro In July

Both Stevenson and Peterson will be competing under the LFA banner for the first time on September 12, although the 37-year-old Peterson already kicked off his own professional MMA career this summer when he stopped Chris Thompson in just 14 seconds at Montana’s Fusion Fight League in July.

While he may not boast Stevenson’s extensive wrestling credentials, Peterson’s current pro record doesn’t give the full story of his overall MMA experience. “Bloodaxe” also competed in five amateur bouts from January to April of this year and finished four-straight opponents before suffering his first loss against Wayne Roberts in his final amateur outing.

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A post shared by Braden Petersön (@bradenp406)

Stevenson’s MMA debut certainly adds a considerable amount of intrigue for fans that are looking ahead to LFA 217, which also features a headlining fight between the undefeated Mitchell McKee and fellow bantamweight prospect Christian Strong.