Gable Steveson booked for freestyle wrestling return after stellar UFC 329 debut

UFC heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson will face a former collegiate wrestling rival in his return to the mats.

Gable Steveson lived up to immense expectations in his highly anticipated UFC debut at UFC 329 earlier this month. The Olympic gold medalist earned a first-round knockout against Elisha Ellison with former two-division champion Jon Jones in his corner.

After his successful UFC debut, Steveson could potentially get fast-tracked to a Top 15 matchup in the thin heavyweight division. As of this writing, Steveson’s next UFC fight hasn’t been announced, but he’s expected to return to the cage later this year.

In the meantime, Steveson will look to stay busy in freestyle wrestling in his return to Real American Freestyle. After defeating former UFC heavyweight Alexander Romanov at RAF 09, Steveson will face a familiar foe at RAF 12.

Gable Steveson booked for rumored Colby Covington/Belal Muhammad RAF 12 card

As announced by the promotion on Wednesday, Steveson will return for the August 22nd event in Cleveland (on FOX Nation), against former college wrestling opponent Anthony Cassioppi.

Steveson and Cassioppi (University of Iowa) battled multiple times on the NCAA Division 1 wrestling mats. Steveson went 4-0 against Cassioppi, including a 16-6 win at the 2021 NCAA Division 1 National Championships.

After defeating Cassioppi, Steveson won the NCAA Division 1 heavyweight wrestling championship by defeating Mason Parris in the final round. He captured two national titles during his time at the University of Minnesota.

In terms of Steveson’s next UFC fight, he said after his win at UFC 329 that he wants to return at the UFC’s annual Madison Square Garden event in November. The promotion could announce Steveson’s next fight in the coming weeks.

Steveson’s return at RAF 12 could potentially be headlined by a grudge match between former UFC titleholders Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad. After recent wins at RAF 11, RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein revealed plans to get Covington vs. Muhammad finalized for the promotion’s first anniversary event.

Who should Gable Steveson fight next in his UFC return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!