Olympic wrestling gold medalist, Gable Steveson, took a big step up in competition versus veteran slugger, Hugo Lezama, just moments ago (Thurs., Feb. 19, 2026) from inside Showcenter Complex in Monterrey, Mexico in the main event of MFL 3.
Steveson’s MMA career is less than a year old, and he’s already the most hyped up prospect in the sport. That’s what happens when you take a wildly accomplished wrestler, put him in a weak division, and have Jon Jones in his corner! The one critique against Steveson so far
has been the level of competition, but Lezama holds a respectable 11-3 professional record against decent opposition.
The fight began with pressure from Steveson, but Lezama swung heavy right away. Shockingly, it was Lezama who shot first with an ill-advised takedown attempt and was quickly reversed into bottom position. From within the guard, Steveson landed some heavy punches. He then let Lezama back up, and Lezama landed a huge wheel kick! Steveson ate the kick without much issue and returned fire with powerful punches, once again landing in top position.
Steveson moved fluidly around his opponent, dropping heavy punches and knees from various positions. Before too long, the shots were really adding up, and the referee was looking closely. Credit to the Mexican veteran, he found half guard and managed to survive the barrage … for a time. When Steveson advanced into mount, there was no escape. One last hail of ground strikes secured yet another first-round finish for the 25-year-old standout!
Check out the highlight clips below:
Is this win enough to earn Steveson the UFC call? He’s still raw but obviously has the physical skills to be something special in the Octagon. Given just how badly Heavyweight needs new talent, his signing would be welcome news even if the prospect could still use a little more experience. At a minimum, it feels like a Contender Series opportunity is coming down the pipe.
Stay tuned.
