Olympic champ Gable Steveson booked for professional MMA debut at LFA 217, fans react: "Heavyweight Bo Nickal probably"

News of Gable Steveson
News of Gable Steveson's MMA debut drew different reactions from fight fans. [Image courtesy: @gable on Instagram]

Fans gave mixed reactions to Gable Steveson's MMA debut. Steveson won the gold medal in wrestling at the 2020 Olympics and has several other accomplishments under his belt. Notably, he is the former two-time NCAA Division 1 champion and a five-time All-American.

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Recently, it was announced that Steveson will make his professional MMA debut against Braden Peterson at LFA 217, scheduled to take place on Sept. 12 at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel Arena in Minnesota.

Popular MMA content creator @ChampRDS re-shared the news on X:

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Fans took to the comments section and shared their thoughts on the news. While some fans expressed their interest in watching Steveson perform in MMA, others did not share the same sentiment.

One fan compared Steveson to UFC middleweight contender and former wrestler Bo Nickal, who had a significant hype around his name after transitioning to MMA. However, his recent defeat against Reinier de Ridder highlighted some glaring weaknesses:

"Heavyweight Bo Nickal probably"
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Another fan wrote, expressing his belief that Steveson's transition to MMA would probably breathe life into the heavyweight division, which seemingly lacks star power and a deep talent pool:

"Heavyweight needs this."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]
Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

Gable Steveson could add his name to the list of elite fighters who transitioned from LFA to UFC

Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) is one of the most prominent MMA promotions in the United States. It has consistently provided a platform to young and emerging talent in the sport, and has been considered a feeder league to major MMA promotions, primarily to the UFC.

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Many LFA fighters went on to become highly accomplished veterans of the sport after their transition to the bigger promotions. UFC champions Kamaru Usman, Valentina Shevchenko, Alex Pereira, Henry Cejudo, Brandon Moreno, Holly Holm, and Sean O'Malley have all competed at LFA in the past.

Additionally, ranked UFC fighters such as Derrick Lewis, Kevin Holland and Brian Ortega also rose to prominence in LFA during the early years of their MMA career.

Gable Steveson, who has already set his sights on UFC glory, is the latest addition to the talent pool that can potentially transition from LFA.

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Edited by Rajneesh Suhas Reddy
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