Sometimes the road to the UFC doesn’t start with a polished amateur résumé and perfect conditioning, but with a personal pit you have to climb out of centimeter by centimeter. Steven Asplund’s story is exactly that: a guy who not long ago weighed around 240 kg managed to reinvent himself, reach the world’s biggest stage, and make so much noise in his debut that the numbers on the scorecards look unreal even in an era of crazy pace.
A Home That Loves Fighting… and Seconds at the Table
Asplund grew up around MMA: his father Kevin fought professionally, worked his corner in Steven’s UFC debut, and knew the rules of Minnesota’s regional scene inside out — from local promotions to experience in Bellator. His dad’s record doesn’t look “glossy,” but he was the one who instilled Steven’s love for combat sports and wrestling. What impressed him most was how a heavyweight who wasn’t particularly tall (around 180 cm) imposed a physical style on bigger opponents at events back home in Minneapolis.
How a “Healthy Appetite” Turned Into 200+ Kilograms
Steven admitted the problem didn’t appear overnight: he’d had a “healthy appetite” since childhood, and family habits only fueled it — an empty plate meant “go get seconds.” At some point it crossed reasonable limits: at the supermarket he could grab piles of sweets and packs of soda, and once he moved out and got a job, nothing was there to restrict his eating anymore.
By his early twenties, his weight had pushed past 200 kg — a strange paradox: for all his love of sports, his body was living by the rules of food dependence, not an athlete’s routine.
A Personal Collapse That Became a Turning Point
Asplund described his breaking point as a painful breakup at 19. A long relationship ended, depression set in, and goals and direction disappeared. That state — when it felt like there was nothing left to lose — became the trigger that pushed him to change for real.
In 2020, Asplund began a large-scale transformation, and later met coach Derek Getzel, who knew Steven’s father from his fighting days in the 2000s. Getzel spotted real athletic potential in Asplund — not surprising, since before the rapid weight gain, some universities had viewed him as a promising American football defensive lineman. The offers never materialized, though, due to poor grades.
From an Amateur Streak to a UFC Ticket in 15 Seconds
With Getzel, Asplund put together a six-fight win streak in the amateurs, then turned pro. After adding five more wins to his record (four by stoppage), he earned a spot on Dana White’s Contender Series, where one explosive performance can secure a contract with the promotion.
Asplund faced unbeaten heavyweight Anthony Guaracio and knocked him out in just 15 seconds. Before the names were announced, Asplund told Dana: “Dana, I’m a fat kid who loves to scrap — I don’t give a damn where or with who. I’ll do anything. I’ll even suck your toes.” He got the contract, of course.
A Debut Where the Heavyweight Worked Like a “Perpetual Motion Machine”
What made the matchup even more intriguing was the contrast: in his UFC debut, Asplund — who once weighed 240 kg — fought Sean Sharaf, a man who at one point could have fit into the 77 kg division. Asplund said that would play to his advantage: “I’ve been a heavyweight for a long time. My engine is built for big mass.”
And he backed it up. Asplund showed unusual stamina and a downright insane pace for the heavyweight division. He won by knockout and, in just two rounds, broke four division records:
- Most significant strikes landed in a three-round fight (second overall when five-round fights are included) — 170;
- Most significant strikes landed in a single round — 99;
- Most significant strike attempts in a single round — 155;
- Most significant strikes on the feet in a fight (when five-round fights are included) — 166.
In a division where one or two clean shots and long lulls between exchanges often decide everything, those numbers look like they belong to a different weight class.
Words He Addressed Not to the Arena, but to Those Teased at School
After the fight, Asplund delivered an emotional speech — not a hype-driven “winner’s mic moment,” but a personal confession from a man who’s been mocked for his body his whole life. He said he understands how people look at him and that he sees his flaws, too. The point wasn’t self-pity; it was a message to anyone growing up thinking “I’m not good enough”: no, you are worthy. Don’t be ashamed of your body. Confidence is a skill you can build, just like a punch or a takedown.
A New Figure in the Heavyweight Division — and Not Just Because of the Kilograms
It’s too early to hand out title predictions, but Asplund’s start was so loud the division has to take a closer look. Heavyweight has long needed personalities who combine power with pace and character, and Steven’s story adds a rare ingredient — genuine human motivation that can’t be faked.
If he keeps his discipline, continues improving technically, and doesn’t lose the “fuel” that carried him from 240 kilograms to the Octagon, the UFC may have found not just a noisy newcomer, but a truly bright new star in the division.
