What to know ahead of Dirty Boxing Nashville, headlined by Gable Steveson vs Billy Swanson
It’s fight week in Nashville at The Pinnacle, which plays host to Dirty Boxing Championship 4, highlighted by Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson continue his path toward the UFC in a heavyweight main event with his latest fight against Chattanooga’s Billy Swanson.
Dirty Boxing launched in 2024, blending both boxing and MMA with the allowance of elbows, spinning backfists and more alongside traditional striking. The promotion is co-owned by Mike Perry and UFC legend Jon Jones, the latter of which has joined Steveson’s team as a coach after the pair worked together ahead of Jones’ fight on UFC 309.
Steveson is a former two-time NCAA national champion in wrestling and made his MMA debut last month on LFA 217, scoring a first-round finish. While his ultimate goals lie in the UFC, Dirty Boxing represents a chance for Steveson to prove he’s more than just a wrestler.
“I wanted to handicap my wrestling and I want to go out there and strike,” Steveson told The Tennessean. “Show the world that, hey, this guy can put it on somebody on the feet, on the ground, left right, north, south, east and west.”
Here’s all you need to know ahead of DBX 4 in Nashville.
Dirty Boxing Championship rules explained
Dirty Boxing fights are contested with four-ounce gloves, similar to those used in the UFC, in an 18-by-18 foot ring. Non-title fights are typically contested over three, three-minute rounds while championship fights and select main events can be contested over five rounds.
Dirty Boxing combines elements of boxing and MMA, with traditional striking as well as the use of elbows, spinning backfists and superman punches all permitted. A standing ground-and-pound is also permitted in Dirty Boxing if an opponent is knocked down, but the standing fighter must finish the fight within five seconds, or the referee will stand both fighters up.
Dirty Boxing does not allow for grappling or kicks of any kind.
Ryan Garcia at Dirty Boxing Nashville
One of boxing’s biggest stars, Ryan Garcia, will be in attendance at The Pinnacle as Dirty Boxing makes its debut outside of Miami. Garcia announced his attendance in a video alongside DBX co-owner Jon Jones, who’ll be ringside coaching Gable Steveson in the main event.
Meet Jon Jones & Ryan Garcia at DBX 4! 👀
Dirty Boxing takes over Nashville, Tennessee — LIVE from The Pinnacle.
📅 Next Thursday, Oct 30th
⏰ 7PM CST / 8PM ESTYou won’t want to miss this. 🔥
🎟️ Grab your tickets now 👇 pic.twitter.com/UnPJO8vC24
— Dirty Boxing Championship (@DirtyBoxing_) October 24, 2025
“Combat sports are at their best when the energy, talent and atmosphere all come together and DBX has been making a lot of noise for exactly that reason,” Garcia said in a news release. “I’m excited to be in Nashville to see it all firsthand and share the experience with the fans.”
Who is Gable Steveson?
Gable Steveson, a Minnesota native, is a world champion wrestler and widely viewed as one of the top upcoming mixed martial arts prospects. Steveson won Olympic gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and twice won NCAA national titles wrestling at Minnesota.
He is a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy Winner, awarded annually to the best collegiate wrestler, and five-time All-American. Steveson had a brief stint in WWE and also signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2024 before being released later that year.
Steveson joined Jon Jones in camp ahead of Jones’ 2024 UFC title fight against Stipe Miocic, and soon after, Jones made himself a permanent fixture in Steveson’s corner as a coach.
Who is Billy Swanson?
Billy Swanson fights out of Chattanooga and holds a 4-3 professional MMA record fighting under a number of promotional banners including Bellator, PFL and LFA. Swanson has 10 years of experience dating back to his first amateur fight and most recently fought in BKFC on short notice in August, suffering a loss to Bear Hill.
Swanson is a steady presence in the East Tennessee fight scene, having started All or Nothing Fights, a local MMA promotion, along with opening Chattanooga MMA College.
“I want to be the best version of me. I want to solidify my legacy,” Swanson told The Tennessean. “I literally feel like I prayed for this opportunity and God sent it to me. He said here’s the Olympic champion for you to go shock the world.”
Gable Steveson height and weight
Gable Steveson is 25 years old and stands at 6-foot-1. Steveson fights at heavyweight and in his MMA debut on LFA 217 he weighed in at 259.2 pounds.
Dirty Boxing Nashville fight card
Main card
- Gable Steveson vs. Billy Swanson
- Bryan Battle vs. Nick Kohring
- Francisco Trinaldo vs. Nayanesh Ayman
- Montavious Ware vs. Alexander Schenk
- Michael Garcia vs. Levi Da Costa
Prelims
- Travis St. John vs. Kevem Felipe
- Peter Stanonik vs. Jaleel Willis
- Braxton Smith vs. Ben Parrish
- Andrew Stewart vs. Ivanieldo Mettendaf
- Zaine Burton vs. James Cannon
Early prelims
- Mariya Agapova vs. Desiree Yanez
- Gabriel Eurit vs. Akeem Bashir
How to watch Dirty Boxing Nashville?
Dirty Boxing Championship 4 will stream live on the DBX YouTube channel on Oct. 30.
When is Dirty Boxing Nashville?
DBX 4 at The Pinnacle in Nashville will kick off with early prelims at 7 p.m. (CT), with the preliminary card set to begin at 7:30 p.m. (CT). The main card, headlined by Steveson vs. Swanson, begins at 8:45 p.m. (CT).
- Fight card start: 7 p.m. CT
- Main card start: 8:45 p.m. CT
Dirty Boxing weigh-ins at Barstool Nashville
Ceremonial weigh-ins for DBX 4 will be held at Barstool Nashville at 7 p.m. on Oct. 29. Jon Jones will be in attendance alongside Mike Perry and former world champion Andre Berto, who is part of the commentary team for DBX 4.
Harrison Campbell covers combat sports for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What to know about Dirty Boxing Nashville? Rules, Gable Steveson main event
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