Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson wasted no time making a statement in his professional MMA debut – scoring a dominant first-round victory at LFA 217.
Matched against heavyweight Braden Peterson in the co-main event, Steveson walked in with one of the most decorated wrestling resumes in American history – national championships, All-American honors, and Olympic glory.
With former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones in his corner, he quickly showed how dangerous that pedigree could be inside the cage.
After absorbing a couple of early leg kicks, Steveson blasted through for a lightning-fast takedown.
From there, he poured on relentless ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in at 1:38 of Round 1.
Peterson, entering the fight as a massive +1000 underdog and greeted by boos from the Minnesota crowd, battled back as best he could, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Jones, calling the action live, predicted the fight’s outcome before it happened – takedown followed by ground-and-pound – and Steveson delivered it to perfection.
The Minnesota faithful roared their approval as their hometown hero celebrated confidently inside the cage.
Watch the finish on the video below:
Gable Steveson crushes Braden Peterson with NASTY ground and pound in the first round at #LFA217. pic.twitter.com/jPQgQXCaM2
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) September 13, 2025
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