Henry Cejudo says Gable Steveson needs to identify why he hasn't found major success since the Olympics.
Steveson tried his hand at numerous ventures ever since winning an Olympic gold medal in wrestling in 2020. He signed with WWE from 2021 to 2024, but didn't make too many appearances. He then had a brief stint with the NFL when he signed a rookie deal with the Buffalo Bills in 2024, but was waived just three months later.
It was his move to MMA that showed most promise, where he went 3-0 before signing with the UFC. Steveson (4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) knocked out Elisha Ellison in Round 1 at UFC 329, but suffered a shocking upset knockout to Sean Sharaf in just 12 seconds at UFC 331 this past Saturday in Los Angeles.
"My question is his perspective,"
Cejudo told Full Send MMA. "Because with Gable, after the Olympics, he tried out for the WWE, and it didn't work out. He tried out for (the NFL), and it didn't work out. There's something that's just unsettled there where he's just not finishing the job after the Olympics. (He finished) second in the Nationals, as well.
"I know it's (mental). Dude's a specimen, especially if he's disciplined. There's something that's not there since the Olympics, and he needs to figure that out. Whether he could completely be 100 percent honest with himself and really pinpoint what is it – it's not technique, I'll tell you that much."
An Olympic gold medalist wrestler himself, Cejudo previously said he wants to see Steveson take a year off and just work on his striking and defense.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Henry Cejudo questions Gable Steveson's perspective: There's something 'unsettled'
