Remember when Gable Steveson bagged his maiden gold Olympic medal with 10 seconds remaining at the 2020 Tokyo Games? He beat Geno Petriashvili 10-8 in the Japanese capital. In fact, the wrestler couldn’t believe it himself. However, this also opened his eyes to a world of opportunities. Known for his dominance on the mat, his career oscillated between professional wrestling and collegiate stardom, and he knew what he wanted to do. 

Apart from the Olympic gold, the 24-year-old’s resume boasted 2 NCAA championships and multiple Dan Hodge Trophies. However, this wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to achieve greatness. Eager to make a mark in sports entertainment, the wrestler signed with WWE. Even though he made a couple of appearances on NXT, he was now the second Olympic medalist in the professional wrestling circuit after Kurt Angle. While this was an exciting chapter for him, it had to end. What really happened?

Gable Steveson draws the curtains on his decision

After an extremely tumultuous stint with the WWE that ended in May, the wrestler signed a 3-year deal with the NFL. However, nothing could stop the titan from returning home. He surprised fans by announcing his return to the University of Minnesota for one final season. But there still lies one question. Why did he end his exciting WWE career? Well, we will let Gable Steveson answer that for you. “WWE just wasn’t the right time. I have a competitive edge to me. They knew that, and it was not the time for it,” he told 411Mania. 

The 24-year-old was set to be next in line of Kurt Angle in the WWE. Drafted to star on Monday Night Raw, he eventually was made a part of the NXT roster in 2023. However, the WWE decided to let the freestyle icon go. Even though he looks forward to bagging his third NCAA title after a 2-year hiatus, the wrestler didn’t shut the door on a potential reconciliation. “Maybe one day, if the stars align, it would be a great opportunity to do it,” he stated. 

However, in a surprising turn of events, his decision to return to the NCAA has been a long time coming. According to the American journalist Dave Meltzer, the WWE continuously shut down his request. In fact, he wanted to do this for the past two seasons. Yet, the decision never was in his hands. Did that sour his relationship with the professional wrestling juggernaut? “I have no bad feelings with it. I have no bad blood with it. I would like to keep moving forward with everything I have going on,” he admitted. However, Meltzer isn’t the only one Gable Steveson had in his corner. 

A UFC legend makes a bold prediction regarding the wrestler’s future

When the wrestler announced his return to Minnesota as an amateur wrestler, it caused quite a stir in the community. Yet, this has also opened the door to another exciting opportunity. The 24-year-old might have a shot at exploring uncharted waters in the MMA sector. This possibility has not just excited fans but has also caught the attention of UFC legend Jon Jones.

During the post-fight UFC 309 press conference, he was asked about the prodigy, and the 37-year-old didn’t hold back. The UFC Heavyweight kingpin boldly proclaimed that if the Olympian does decide to go to the MMA, he would be very “scary” to lock heads with. But how does he know this? 

The duo have trained together, and this helped Jones gauge just how lethal his potential is. The MMA G.O.A.T. elaborated that Gable Steveson can make men appear weak. Bear in mind that this observation applies to the UFC legend as well. Even though the 24-year-old has a decorated collegiate career as a wrestler, he would have to make minor tweaks to climb up the ranks as a UFC champion.

In fact, Jon Jones went as far as to dub the 2x NCAA champion as an asset. If he decides to take the plunge, the 37-year-old reiterated that they would be blessed to have him on their squad. While the Olympian embarks on the journey to clinch his 3rd NCAA title, this might not be the last time we see him under the spotlight. Will you be watching?