Steven Peterson


Steven Timothy Peterson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2010, he has also competed for Bellator Fighting Championships and the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Peterson made his Bellator Fighting Championships debut on September 2, 2010 at Bellator 27 against Ernest de la Cruz, winning via unanimous decision.
He made his second and final appearance in Bellator on March 23, 2012 against Chris Jones at Bellator 62, losing via split decision. Peterson competed extensively in both Legacy FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance, winning the Legacy FC Bantamweight title at Legacy FC 56 vs. Manny Vasquez via rear-naked choke. He lost a title unification bout at against Leandro Higo via unanimous decision.

Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series

Peterson competed on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series for a chance at a UFC contract on August 22, 2017 against Benito Lopez, losing via split decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

He made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 126 on February 18, 2018 against Humberto Bandenay. However due to visa issue for Bandenay, he was replaced by Brandon Davis, He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
His next bout was at The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated Finale on July 6, 2018 Matt Bessette. He won the fight via split decision.
Peterson faced Luis Peña on March 23, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 148. At the weigh-ins, Peña weighed in at 148.5 lbs, 2.5 pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit of 146 lbs. Peña was fined 30% of his fight purse and the bout proceed at catchweight. Peterson lost the fight via unanimous decision. Peterson signed a new, four-fight contract with the UFC after the fight.
Peterson faced Alex Caceres on July 20, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 4. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Peterson faced Martín Bravo on September 21, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 17. He won the fight by knockout via a spinning back fist in the second round. This win earn him the Performance of the Night award.
Peterson said of his knockout, "I went to evade his spinning backfist and it just naturally came because I made the same step and it was right after I jabbed when he did it. The jab was the perfect setup. I was just in a flow state when I did it. Everything came natural when I landed that backfist."
Peterson was expected to face Aalon Cruz on February 29, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 169. However, Peterson was pulled from the event for an unknown reason and he was replaced by promotional newcomer Spike Carlyle.

Championships and achievements