Dirty Boxing: Gable Steveson vs Billy Swanson
On October 30, the Dirty Boxing world will turn its eyes to Nashville, Tennessee, where a highly anticipated showdown takes place: Gable Steveson vs. Billy Swanson in the main event of DBX 4 at The Pinnacle.
Stevenson vs Swanson: What to know about the Match
The contest marks Steveson’s debut in Dirty Boxing (and his first foray into a boxing‑hybrid ruleset) and represents a pivotal moment for the young promotion. The event will be streamed live and free on DBX’s official YouTube channel, with additional coverage via platforms such as Twitch, Rumble, and Kick. Since this is a relatively new fighting style and the rules are hybrid, with restrictions on full-contact fighting and restrictive techniques, the match is less dependent on pure fighting skills alone, making it very difficult to predict the possible outcome. For this reason, anyone wishing to bet on the match can claim the BetRivers bonus code here, so as not to spend their own money and limit any losses.
Gable Stevenson, a Golden Dirty Boxer
Gable Steveson is best known as an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers in U.S. history. As he pivots into striking‑based competition, many see this as a test of his adaptability. His most recent fight was his professional MMA debut at LFA 217 on September 12, where he secured a first‑round TKO over Braden Peterson in under two minutes.
That performance showed impressive control and aggression, though it largely leaned on his dominant wrestling base and ground service. In preparation for DBX, Steveson has reportedly trained alongside former UFC champion Jon Jones, who is also a part-owner of the Dirty Boxing promotion. Steveson’s strengths include elite athleticism, excellent balance, wrestling instincts, and accelerating power. His potential liabilities are his relative inexperience in pure striking domains, and how well he can adapt to a more open striking format.
Billy Swanson, a Veteran of Combat
Billy Swanson enters as a battle‑tested veteran across multiple combat formats. His MMA record sits at 4–3, with stints in promotions such as Bellator and PFL. More recently, Swanson competed in BKFC (bare knuckle) and in Muay Thai contexts, though his recent run has been marred by knockout defeats — including a stoppage loss to Bear Hill in a BKFC outing in August. Over the past several fights, Swanson has shown grit and experience but has suffered from wear and strain on his chin and defense. Against Steveson, his best path is to keep the action upright, employ sharp counters, pressure in the pocket, and perhaps test whether Steveson’s striking defense can hold. He may lack the explosiveness of Steveson, but his experience in different striking formats may serve him well in a hybrid ruleset.
What’s Dirty Boxing?Dirty Boxing is a hybrid combat style, co‑founded by Mike Perry in 2024, that blends traditional boxing and MMA. According to DBX’s design, the sport features 4‑ounce gloves, a tighter 18‑foot “dirty” ring, and a ruleset emphasizing continuous action. Unlike traditional boxing, Dirty Boxing allows elbows, spinning back fists, and standing ground‑and‑pound when a fighter is knocked down (provided no clinch or grappling stalemate ensues). Kicks and extensive grappling have been consciously excluded to keep the pace high and avoid stalling. The rounds are 3-minute ones, and in the event of a draw on the judges’ scorecards, an extra sudden‑death round is used to force a decisive outcome. The focus is on “dirty,” gritty striking in close quarters, constant pressure, and minimizing defensive sheltering or stalling tactics. The intent is to fuse the visceral intensity of MMA striking with the purity of boxing exchanges, producing a fan‑friendly, high‑velocity spectacle. As DBX continues to expand and attract fighters across the combat sports world, the Steveson vs. Swanson clash may well become a marquee moment in the ascent of Dirty Boxing itself.
