Watch: Olympic Medalist Gable Steveson With an EXPLOSIVE Lightning-Quick Kncokout
Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson needed just 24 seconds to knock out Kevin Hein in the main event of Anthony Pettis FC 21 on Sunday night. Held at the Isleta Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the finish capped another stunning first-round performance for the 25-year-old heavyweight who has made waves in regional MMA over the past three months.
Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson earns a 24-second Knockout
The fight started with Hein pressing forward, trying to establish control early. That didn’t last long. Steveson threw a left hook as he changed levels for a takedown attempt. The punch landed flush. Hein was already unconscious when he hit the canvas. Steveson completed the takedown anyway and added one more shot for good measure before the referee stepped in. By the time officials waved it off, Steveson had spent less time inside the cage than most fighters spend on their walk-out.
Gable’s so fast he shot for the takedown while his opponent was already out,” MMA journalist Ariel Helwani posted after the fight. That timing summed it up perfectly. Hein had come in with a 2-1 record at heavyweight and started the night as an undefeated amateur wrestler, but nothing in his background prepared him for what Steveson brings.
Steveson arrived at APFC 21 as an upgraded attraction. The promotion moved his fight to the main event slot, bumping it ahead of two previously scheduled title bouts. Anthony Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champion who runs the show, understood what he had in front of him. Holly Holm, Carlos Condit, and Demetrious Johnson all watched from cageside.
The context matters here. Steveson won Olympic gold at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, becoming the youngest American freestyle wrestler to achieve that feat. He captured multiple NCAA Division I national championships at Penn State and won two Dan Hodge Trophies.
He tried football with the Buffalo Bills last summer before getting cut. He did time in WWE but only wrestled one televised match. Earlier this month, he recorded a 15-second knockout under hybrid rules at Dirty Boxing Championship 4 against Billy Swanson. That finish didn’t count toward his official record, but it showed the power was there.
His MMA debut came in September at LFA 127. Steveson faced Braden Peterson and won by ground-and-pound TKO in 98 seconds. That gave him one frame of reference. Sunday’s performance against Hein suggested the first fight was no accident. Steveson has combined wrestling credentials with striking that catches people off guard. He stood in front of Hein and traded for a moment before landing the decisive blow.
After the final whistle, Steveson mentioned UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard in his post-fight interview. Maynard had been expected at cageside but was still in transit from UFC Qatar. Steveson made his pitch anyway, calling out the promotion during his time on the microphone.
Steveson is 2-0 in professional MMA and 3-0 across all combat sports in 2025. Every finish has come by knockout in the first round. He’s spent less than two minutes total inside the cage across both MMA appearances.
