American freestyle wrestler Gable Stevenson expressed his willingness to test his skills against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenoms Gordon Ryan and Nicky Rod. Steveson, celebrated for his accomplishments in wrestling, including the Olympic Gold, has garnered significant attention for his potential crossover into submission grappling.
Steveson’s wrestling prowess has solidified his position as a formidable competitor since his debut in 2018, clinching numerous victories and championships throughout his career. His achievements include multiple Big Ten Conference titles and recognition as the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, highlighting his dominance in the sport.
During a recent appearance on the Jaxxon podcast alongside UFC veteran Quinton Jackson and UFC commentator Laura Sanko, Steveson addressed the prospect of facing renowned figures in submission grappling. When queried about potential matchups against Gordon Ryan and Nicky Rod, Steveson revealed previous discussions with Rod and expressed enthusiasm for a potential showdown with Ryan.
Although acknowledging his lack of experience in jiu-jitsu, Steveson conveyed his eagerness to embrace the challenge, stating, “I mean, any guy would do it. I mean, what’s the problem with that? [I don’t know jiu-jitsu] but I’ll get it.”
The podcast segment sparked considerable interest among grappling enthusiasts, underscoring the intrigue surrounding matchups between prominent wrestling and submission grappling personalities. Despite the distinctions between wrestling and submission grappling, the convergence of these disciplines continues to captivate the combat sports community.
Gordon Ryan previously grappled Pat Downey in a mixed rules bout several years ago. While Ryan lost the wrestling portion of the challenge he was victorious in submission grappling.
Gable Steveson was signed to the WWE after a brief flirtation with the UFC but opted for WWE in the end. Steveson would be splitting his commitments between college wrestling and professional wrestling as 2024 was the last year that he could compete for the University of Minnesota.
University of Minnesota’s wrestling coach Brandon Eggum recently gave an update on social media that Steveson will not be competing for them in the following season:
“Unfortunately, [Steveson] will not be able to compete for us this season,” Eggum said. “He is a great competitor. He’s always wanted to compete for the University of Minnesota, but ultimately the WWE would prefer that he’s solely focused on his professional wrestling career at this time. So whenever he’s not at the Performance Center down in Florida, he’s up here in our realm working with our heavyweights, which is awesome.”
