24 seconds. That’s the time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson took to win his second professional MMA fight. The bout caught the attention of many, including longtime UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. With an excitement around him, Steveson is now set for his third professional fight against a much more veteran fighter than his last two opponents.
Mexico Fight League (MFL) took to their social media handles to announce that Steveson will feature in their third edition of the event, facing Hugo Lezama (11-3). The bout is scheduled to take place on Feb. 19 at ShowCenter in Monterrey, Mexico. While announcing the fight, the promotion also noted Steveson as “the planet’s #1 heavyweight prospect”.
Steveson will be entering his third MMA bout with an undefeated record of 2-0. After defeating Braden Peterson on his debut at LFA 217, the two-time NCAA champion knocked out Kevin Hein at Anthony Pettis FC 21 last November. Particularly, several prominent personalities of the MMA community well-noticed his victory over Hein. Rogan, in particular, was so overjoyed after seeing his performance that he even texted Dana White to sign Steveson in the UFC.
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Meanwhile, despite the excitement, White has been tight-lipped, saying: “We’ve been watching him before Rogan.” Amid these conversations, Steveson now has another opportunity to showcase his MMA skills. His upcoming opponent, Lezama, will be standing as a much more experienced fighter. If he wins his upcoming fight, Stevesonmight get one step closer to entering the Octagon.
Gable Steveson is yet to sign a UFC contract, but the excitement around him is quite evident. In addition to Joe Rogan, another UFC personality believes that Steveson has everything that the heavyweight division of the leading MMA promotion needs.
Laura Sanko feels Gable Steveson could have a big year in the UFC
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Sanko shared her thoughts on the 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist: “Gable Steveson could have a very big year in the UFC, which is wild to say about a guy who is not even signed yet. It feels a little bit, not quite as big, but it feels Brock (Lesnar)-ish in terms of his ability to appeal to a general audience and go out there and deliver in a division that really needs some stars and someone to compete with Tom Aspinall.”
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It may seem like a very rare moment with the amount of hype Steveson has received as he has only fought two professional MMA bout. But this also indicates the need for such exciting talents in the heavyweight division, considering the current state of the division.
Meanwhile, Daniel Cormier also shared his thoughts on the excitement around Steveson. “You know, I believe he has a chance. I believe he has a real chance to be a world champion… I believe that there are some other factors that may slow him down. Well, his coach is Jon Jones. I think that as long as he lets the other coaches coach him, yes. But if he is like, if Jon is actually coaching him, I don’t know,” Cormier stated on The Ariel Helwani Show.
Amid all these speculations about Steveson’s future, his official inclusion in the UFC roster is yet to take place. The question remains the same: Will it be after his upcoming fight, or will the promotion wait a little longer? Let us know your thoughts below!
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