MONTERREY, Mexico – Feb. 13, 2026 – Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is aiming for a high-profile debut in the UFC, and he’s not shy about where he wants it to be: a potential event at the White House.
Steveson Eyes White House Debut Following Mexico Fight
The 25-year-old wrestling star intends to publicly request a UFC fight at the White House if he secures another victory next week.
- Gable Steveson (2-0) will face Hugo Lezama (11-3) at Mexico Fight League 3 on Feb. 19 in Monterrey, Mexico.
- Steveson has been in contact with the UFC and plans to request a fight on the promotion’s event at the White House with a win.
- MMA legend Jon Jones, who also wants to compete at the White House, predicts Steveson will become the UFC’s heavyweight champion by early 2027.
- Steveson previously won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and explored opportunities in professional wrestling and the NFL.
Steveson, widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers in U.S. history, has finished both of his mixed martial arts bouts in the first round. He stated he will publicly request his UFC debut take place on June 14 at the White House if he defeats Hugo Lezama next Thursday.
“We’ve been in a lot of contact [with the UFC],” Steveson said. “Most definitely I’ll call [for the White House]. I think it’s rightfully so, especially if a big knockout happens next Thursday. It would be my fourth one — three in MMA and one in boxing.”
The 25-year-old trains alongside Jon Jones, who has also expressed interest in competing at the White House. The UFC began discussing potential matchups for the event this week, but no announcements have been made yet.
Jones has confidently predicted Steveson will become the UFC’s heavyweight champion by early 2027, a timeline that would align with Steveson making his promotional debut in the first half of this year.
“Yeah, I believe it,” Steveson said, acknowledging Jones’s prediction. “I’ve got full confidence in myself. With a guy like Jon, I feel like my confidence goes through the roof and the best thing about it is that he sees me firsthand, training with him and hitting the pads, going through all the motions. His word is gold with that. If it’s not next year, it’ll be soon after that. It just depends how the cards fall.”
What makes Gable Steveson’s Olympic win so memorable? Steveson rallied from an 8-5 deficit in the final 10 seconds of his 125-kilogram matchup against Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili at the Tokyo Olympics to secure a stunning 10-8 victory.
Steveson won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in a dramatic fashion, rallying from an 8-5 deficit in the final 10 seconds of his 125-kilogram matchup against Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili to post an improbable 10-8 victory. Prior to pursuing MMA, Steveson also tried his hand at professional wrestling, signing a multi-year deal with WWE, and even had a tryout with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, though he did not make the roster.
