The Gable Steveson hype train is full steam ahead, and the next stop could be in the UFC's octagon after making quick work of another opponent.
In the main event of Mexico Fight League 3, Steveson (3-0) took on Hugo Lezama in a heavyweight bout at Showcenter Complex in Monterrey, Mexico. Lezama (11-4) was Steveson's most experienced opponent yet, but that really didn't matter for the hottest heavyweight MMA prospect in the game today. With UFC legend Jon Jones in his corner, Steveson ended the fight at 3:50 in the opening round by TKO.
Lezama offered a few big, sloppy windups and even connected with a spinning back kick to the head. Steveson walked through it all, though, and calmly took control of the fight on the mat with heavy ground and pound. After letting Lezama work through a few positions from his back, the referee decided to stop the fight after Stevenson opened a cut and began turning up the volume of his ground strikes.
It was like another day at the office for Steveson, whose celebration was not much more than a few smiles. During his post-fight interview, he said he plans to get back to work on a few things while he awaits what comes next.
What's next could be his UFC debut.
The promotion has not hidden its interest in having the Olympic gold medalist wrestler on its roster, but wanted to see him get a little more experience in MMA competition before welcoming him face the experienced opposition in the UFC. He is now 3-0 in MMA competition, plus a win under the custom ruleset of Dirty Boxing Championship. Steveson has won each fight in the first round.
Steveson has said he would love to make his debut at the upcoming UFC White House event in June, which would be a massive introduction to the audience.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Gable Steveson grows to 3-0 in MMA with potential UFC debut on horizon