DAVENPORT — Former Iowa State wrestler Kyven Gadson submitted Adam Burdock-Poulin in the main event of the Caged Aggression MMA event in Davenport, Iowa, on Friday. With the victory, Gadson has cemented himself as one of the top heavyweight prospects in Iowa.

Gadson remains undefeated at 3-0 as a professional, while Burdock-Poulin drops to 2-2.

“Having the health, support, mindset to prepare and make the walk, I just have so much gratitude for these moments that I don’t believe I ever previously possessed,” Gadson said. “Just having the ability to make the walk daily to train and prepare and then having the courage to walk to the cage, I’m grateful.”

Gadson showcased his striking along with his wrestling base. In the third round, the Waterloo, Iowa, native landed several strikes from the clinch before transitioning with a takedown against the cage and quickly locking in a Kimura to secure the submission victory.

Burdock-Poulin is the first opponent in Gadson’s MMA career to push the fight past the first round. In his first two professional fights, he claimed a first-round submission and a first-round TKO.

Gadson coaches wrestling and trains out of Myriad MMA Academy in Ames. The gym notably hosted the Iowa State men’s basketball team before the season for a week of training.

“We have really big ideas that need to be executed well and supported well,” Gadson said. “We are building a special team of combat sports specialists in Ames over at Myriad, and we genuinely believe combat sports have a special way to bring people together and we hope to serve the Ames community.”

In 2015, Gadson won the NCAA Championship for the Cyclones at 197 pounds. He continued his freestyle wrestling career before transitioning to professional MMA in 2025.

All three of the former Cyclone’s fights have taken place over the past six months.

“For me, it’s awesome to have three pro fights in less than 155 days,” Gadson said. “It means that I am healthy and continuing to grow and learn the skills that are necessary to stay safe and intelligent in these competitions. For me, the walk is the win.”

He does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. XFC will host Gadson’s next fight against Michael Zahn on April 25 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

At 33, there is a long career ahead for the heavyweight. If he continues stacking wins, with the credentials that Gadson has, a run in the UFC could be in his future.