During a recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show, UFC President Dana White shared his thoughts on Gable Steveson’s transition from professional wrestling to mixed martial arts.
The Olympic gold medalist and former WWE Superstar made his MMA debut earlier this month under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) banner, earning praise for his athleticism and natural ability inside the cage.
White said he’s intrigued by Steveson’s potential and is closely monitoring his progress.
“Yeah, it’s interesting. When you have somebody that’s a physical freak, an incredible athlete, and a guy who has competed at the highest level, and then they start transitioning into a combat sport like this, it’s very interesting,” White said. “We’re definitely keeping our eyes on him, and we’ll see how this plays out.”
White compared Steveson’s MMA journey to that of Brock Lesnar, who famously crossed over from WWE to the UFC, where he became Heavyweight Champion.
“Think about this. Brock Lesnar came over here from the WWE, but he was such a strong wrestler. He was able to win the title,” White continued. “Now you got a guy like this with his wrestling background who’s actually working his way up in the smaller league, getting some experience, and then he’ll eventually end up here, and we’ll find out what he’s capable of doing.”
Steveson’s debut bout reportedly drew strong attention from both MMA and pro wrestling fans, with speculation already swirling about a possible UFC debut in the future if his development continues.
Dana White on Gable Steveson: Now you got a guy like this, with his wrestling background, who's actually working his way up, you know, in the smaller leagues. Getting some experience and then, you know, he'll eventually end up here and we'll find out what he's capable of doing. pic.twitter.com/5fTzLKvaSC
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 7, 2025
