sports
Gable Steveson Wins UFC Debut by First-Round Finish
Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson defeated his opponent by first-round finish at UFC 329 on July 11. He urged several wrestlers on the Real American Freestyle roster to transition to mixed martial arts.
Jul 12, 8:44 AM·1m read1 source
Audio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Gable Steveson won his UFC debut by first-round finish at UFC 329 on July 11. The Olympic wrestling champion and two-time NCAA champion from Minnesota, coached by Jon Jones, used the post-fight platform to call on other wrestlers to switch to MMA. Steveson named David Carr, Aaron Brooks, Bo Bassett, Carter Starocci, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev as potential candidates.
He added that many strong wrestlers remain unknown to fans but are gaining visibility through Real American Freestyle. Carr, Bassett, Snyder and Sadulaev compete on the Real American Freestyle roster.
Bassett is scheduled to make his college wrestling debut at Virginia Tech in the 2026-2027 season. Brooks is expected to return to wrestling ahead of the 2028 Olympics after serving a USADA suspension. Starocci won his amateur boxing debut by stoppage at the end of June.
On the same day, Kyle Snyder defeated Abdulrashid Sadulaev by pin on the Real American Freestyle Georgia card. Sadulaev suffered an injury during the final sequence while defending a takedown. Steveson said he would enjoy the victory with family before considering his next steps.
“Today I’m gonna enjoy the moment. Tomorrow I’m gonna go home and enjoy with my family,” he said. He expressed interest in a potential November bout at Madison Square Garden, noting Jon Jones’s prior appearance there, and in Real American Freestyle’s September card in Moscow that was announced the same weekend.
Wyatt Hendrickson, who defeated Steveson in the 2025 NCAA finals, told On3 that NFL team concerns may be preventing a rematch on the mat.
