Gable Steveson didn’t get the result in wanted in his final college wrestling match but that won’t deter his plans for the future.
The 2020 Olympic gold medalist in wrestling suffered a shocking loss to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson this past Saturday night in the 285-pound finals at the NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships in Philadelphia. Steveson returned to the University of Minnesota for his final year of eligibility after already capturing two NCAA titles and his Olympic gold medal before a short stint in WWE and a tryout with the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
“I’m not happy with the results that happened this past weekend,” Steveson told The Pat McAfee Show on Monday. “But it’s a blessing to go out there in front of the crowd, in front of the biggest stage and since leaving 2022, I’ve always wanted to go out there and give one last good push for the University of Minnesota. That’s what I tried to do.
“I tried to make things as big as possible and I love the show. I love going out there and feeling the jitters, having your heart racing, having a great opponent across from you and win or lose, the road doesn’t end for me and I keep going forward.”
Even prior to the start of the college wrestling season, Steveson told MMA Fighting that he was already contemplating a return for the 2028 Olympic games, which take place in Los Angeles, but he’s got other options available to him as well.
While nothing has been decided just yet, Steveson reaffirmed his plans to eventually make the move to MMA and it sounds like fighting might happen for him sooner rather than later now.
“What’s next for me is I’ve been boxing, I’ve been putting on the gloves, doing jiu-jitsu classes, trying to get ready for an MMA career or right after I stepped off the mats Saturday night, just a couple of calls from a few new teams in the NFL,” Steveson revealed. “The roads just keep opening and I’m just so happy that I can go out there and put on my best performance.
“Win or lose, like I said, I’m always a showman. I go out there and I turn the crowd up and I show love and if a guy gets his hand raised across from me, it’s respect as always. The doors are still opening and I’m just so happy where I am today and where the future is going to take me.”
When Steveson tried out for the Buffalo Bills this past year, he had never played a single down of competitive football previously but still made it deep into training camp before he was cut from the team. That option is still a possibility, especially with NFL teams always searching for new talent but Steveson didn’t commit to anything yet.
As far as fighting goes, the 24-year-old wrestler previously worked out with the coaches and fighters at Kill Cliff FC in Florida before he accepted an invite to help Jon Jones prepare for his UFC heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic this past November.
Steveson says Jones remains a constant for him as he contemplates a future in MMA.
“Just making sure I can get my hands certified and ready,” Steveson said about his preparation for fighting. “Just making sure that I can see punches coming and make sure that I’m comfortable in the cage and comfortable with guys in front of me that are going to be throwing huge haymakers and getting in and getting out of the way. I’ve got a great mentor right now, I hope a lot of people know a guy named Jon Jones — just a fantastic dude and the greatest fighter of all time. He’s pretty damn good.
“I appreciate his efforts of trying to lead me into the right direction and kind of taking my back and giving me the direction that I need. I’m really young and he’s been there and done that before so I’m really appreciative of how he’s kind of walked my steps leading into this next chapter, if that’s what it is.”
While wrestling has been his only focus lately, Steveson admits that fighting has always been on his mind and it’s just a matter of time before he actually sets foot in a cage to do battle.
In fact, Steveson hopes he’ll finally get the chance to meet UFC CEO Dana White to discuss his future.
“I think that’s the best outlet for amateur wrestlers overall,” Steveson said about MMA. “I have not spoken to Dana personally. That’s one meeting I would love to have face-to-face. I’ve been waiting a long time to see him.
“I know after the 2021 Olympics, he reached out and wanted me to come see him in Vegas and everything else. That’s one meeting that I would love to have and love to see. If I can get in front of his face and really pitch who I am and pitch who he can see and who I will be, I think that would be the greatest thing.”
That initial meeting never happened because Steveson received a lucrative offer to join the roster at WWE but professional wrestling just never worked out for him.
Now coming off this unexpected loss in his final college wrestling match, Steveson is ready to turn the page but still just as motivated as ever to make his mark in whatever he chooses to do next.
“I think a lot of people were expecting a really bad reaction from me,” Steveson said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve done so many great things, I’ve met so many great people, I’ve been in so many great places and I would never take that for granted. That was the main reason I wanted to come back to the University of Minnesota after leaving in 2022 was I wanted these kids to see that you can be something special, whether you win or lose, you can change a sport, you can be a guy that people want to look at and take pictures with and hang out with after the duels and after the matches. It’s not the end of the world for me.
“I’ve always been up for the battle. If it was good or if it was bad, if people doubted and you know they’re always going to doubt. I’ve been here before and this is nothing new.”
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