Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson added another emphatic win to his growing MMA résumé on Thursday night in Monterrey, Mexico.

The 25 year old heavyweight moved to 3-0 as a professional after stopping veteran Hugo Lezama in the first round of their main event clash at México Fight League 3. Steveson stepped into the cage at a career low 249 pounds, looking noticeably leaner and quicker than in his previous outings.

Lezama, who entered with an 11-4 record, fired off a spinning wheel kick early that connected, but Steveson absorbed the shot without issue. From there, the Olympic standout wasted little time imposing his will. He secured a takedown, advanced position, and began unloading punishing ground strikes.

The end came once Steveson mounted Lezama and unleashed a barrage of heavy punches. The referee had seen enough and waved it off at 3:50 of the opening round. The stoppage marked Steveson’s third straight first round finish since transitioning to mixed martial arts.

All three of Steveson’s victories have come inside five minutes, fueling growing buzz about a potential move to the UFC. Ahead of the bout, he spoke confidently about his development and comfort level in the sport as he continues to evolve following his decorated amateur wrestling career.

Gable Steveson’s corner was urging him to keep his hands up right before he got caught with a wheel kick 😳

(via @uncrownedcombat)

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, Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 20, 2026

Another dominant showing by Gable Steveson, he at least had to work a little for this one. Hugo Lezama’s wheel kick was the only real adversity he faced. Steveson moves to 3-0. #MFL3 pic.twitter.com/5A3V1soqRF

, caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 20, 2026