Bo Nickal warns Gable Steveson about potential pitfalls of UFC signing as fans clamor for Olympic gold medalist

UFC middleweight star Bo Nickal has some words of wisdom for Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson as the sport’s latest hype train kicks off.

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson is potentially one win away from getting a call from UFC CEO Dana White and the matchmakers. The Jon Jones protege is 2-0 in his professional MMA career with two knockouts, and returns to the cage on Thursday night against Hugo Lezama at Mexican Fight League 3.

The hype surrounding the UFC potentially signing Steveson to its heavyweight division is one of the most intriguing stories of 2026. White has repeatedly hinted at the massive talent that Steveson possesses, and Joe Rogan has said the heavyweight division is in huge trouble once Steveson joins.

Steveson’s potential UFC deal would be the most hyped addition since Bo Nickal joined the roster in 2022. After a loss to Reinier de Ridder in May, Nickal bounced back with a knockout win at UFC 322, albeit with his previous hype dissipated.

After the ups and downs of the start of his UFC career, Nickal wants Steveson to learn some of the lessons he took from some of his earlier struggles.

Bo Nickal advises Gable Steveson ahead of potential UFC heavyweight signing

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Nickal cautioned Steveson ahead of his potential UFC signing.

“You can always play the ‘what if’ game or hindsight is 20/20 or people try to politic their way into certain matchups, this, that,” Nickal said. “Other people can worry about that for me. I’m worried about just improving, getting better as a fighter, growing as a person every single day, and being present.

“For him, I would just say the same thing. Just focus on getting better at fighting and whatever the matchups are, you’ll figure it out. If you win or lose a fight, you’re still Gable Steveson. So try to be yourself and try to improve.”

“In regards to Gable, I would say the career stuff and everything, it’s going to work out the way it’s supposed to. Just continue to focus on getting better at fighting, getting better at your sport,” Nickal continued. “Being disciplined. Staying committed to your goals. Regardless of who you fight, what’s the opponent, how fast your career is moving, I think that it’s really more just about continuing to grow and improve and get better.”