Could WWE Sale Lead to Gable Steveson Fighting in the UFC?
The WWE and UFC are now linked as Endeavor, the UFC’s parent company, has purchased WWE. This news has sparked discussion in the UFC and WWE communities regarding each company’s future. On the side of WWE, Vince McMahon’s role with the company is in question and NXT stars have requested to be released. Although, the real question is if there will be any talent sharing between the companies. If there is, Gable Steveson is one of the most intriguing names that the UFC may want to utilize.
Why Would Gable Steveson Make Sense in the UFC
For those unaware, Gable Steveson is one of the best wrestlers on the planet. Steveson won Olympic gold at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokoyo. Furthermore, he is a two-time NCAA champion wrestler. Steveson’s wrestling skills and athleticism would immediately translate to the UFC octagon. Sure, it would be beneficial for him to round out his MMA skills, but that can be done.
From the business side of things, this move is now possible. In the past, Steveson was in negotiations with the UFC and WWE before eventually opting to take the path of professional wrestling. Now with the companies under the same roof, it increases the chances he could work with both companies simultaneously. If he can find success in that realm, he could grow into a massive pay-per-view star. That will only help Endeavor make money.
Is Gable Steveson interested?
It is obvious that Steveson needs to be interested in this plan for it to work. Thankfully, he probably would be. In the past, Steveson admitted that a move to MMA is inevitable. Plus, he has not closed the door on competition. Steveson recently announced that he will unretire from wrestling to compete in the 2024 Olympics. As long as Steveson is still willing to put in the time to train at a high level, the door for an MMA transition is possible.
Is it worth it for the WWE?
Now, I imagine that the WWE would need to sign off on this idea. I think it would help the company though. I do have to admit, I am far from a professional wrestling or WWE expert. Instead, I am writing this as someone that covers the UFC. Selfishly, I want to see another gold medalist and awesome talent in the UFC. Still, looking at the situation objectively it makes sense for the WWE.
Thankfully, we have already seen this story once, and it worked out well for Brock Lesnar. I do not see why it would not work as well for Steveson. Sure, he isn’t as good as Lesnar is on the microphone, but he may be the better fighter. If that is the case, there is a real chance that Steveson could win UFC heavyweight gold. That obviously would not be an easy task, but the rewards would be immense if he can pull it off. The chance to have a UFC champion be a part of the WWE roster seems fruitful for the company.
The Timeline
It is important to note this will not be an immediate change if this happens. As previously mentioned, Steveson is looking to compete in the 2024 Olympics. After that, he likely wants to spend some time competing in the WWE. So, I think 2025 is the earliest we could see Steveson enter the UFC octagon, even that is an aggressive date. Still, the important detail is that a few barriers preventing Steveson from joining the UFC were just eliminated.
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