Bookmakers are offering odds on potential UFC matchups for recent Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson and Derrick Lewis is the only one not sitting as a comfortable favorite.
Gable Steveson’s future is one of the hottest topics in sports. The recent freestyle wrestling gold medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics has made ovations to NFL teams, the UFC, and the WWE, garnering interest from teams like the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings along the way.
While it seems likely that the 21-year-old will return to college for a remaining year of wrestling eligibility (and maybe even put in some work with the University of Minnesota football team), that hasn’t stopped the speculation as to just what his next move might be.
To that effect, at least one sportsbook has even gone so far as to start offering odds on Steveson’s MMA career. Not just whether or not he’ll fight, but potential odds on a number of different opponents, should he face them. As might be expected from a man with no professional fighting experience, Steveson opened as a serious underdog to names like Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. But, oddsmakers were a lot more generous with at least one potential matchup, recent title contender Derrick Lewis.
Lewis opened at just -105 for a potential fight against Steveson, with the D1 national champion sitting at -115 as a slight favorite.
Lewis, a 34-fight veteran, is 25-8 (1 NC) over his 11-year career—with 20 of those wins coming by way of knockout. It’s also worth noting that, in the 13 UFC bouts where Lewis has been taken down at least once, he’s only lost two of those fights.
It seems intensely unlikely that Steveson ever gets the opportunity to fight Lewis at this point in their respective careers. But betting on Steveson to win that fight? that seems like a heck of a long shot.
MMA Journalist Drake Riggs posted a screenshot of the odds, offered by Bovada, shortly after they opened.
Bovada now has odds up for hypothetical UFC matchups for US Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson. pic.twitter.com/JTF5YV5pWw
— Drake Riggs (@DrakeRiggs_) August 12, 2021
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