Jon Jones’ Coach Sees MMA Championship Potential in Decorated Training Partner

It’s humbling having some of the world’s
best athletes supporting me throughout this camp. “Be comfortable
being uncomfortable”. pic.twitter.com/q0vqcfiNIF

— BONY (@JonnyBones)
October 8, 2024

Jon
Jones’ longtime coach Brandon Gibson believes wrestling
superstar Gable Steveson could be a future mixed martial arts
champion.

Jones (27-1) will defend his heavyweight title against Stipe
Miocic (20-4) in the main event at UFC 309
on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Many, including
Gibson believe that this could be the last walk to the Octagon for
“Bones,” who has hinted at retirement on multiple occasions leading
up to the bout.

In preparation for UFC 309, Jones has assembled a cadre of talented
training partners from various discipines of combat sports.
Included in that group are multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion
Gordon
Ryan and wrestling Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. Gibson
sees championship potential in Steveson, who has contemplated
transitioning to MMA in the past. According to Gibson, Jones is
also a good enough coach himself to perhaps guide Steveson to

UFC championship glory someday.

I feel every bit of 37 hanging out with
these two. It’s humbling, but I’m grateful. pic.twitter.com/2B76C4vokz

— BONY (@JonnyBones)
October 9, 2024

“The sky is the limit for Gable, he’s a super athlete,” Gibson
recently told MMAFighting.com. “He also walked on to the
Buffalo Bills without ever playing football. Just in this past
week, we’ve seen him in there boxing with mitts, grappling, doing
jiu-jitsu, ground-and-pound drills. He’s incredible, and I have no
doubt that he could be a heavyweight champ. There’s a sense of
pride I see in Jon Jones having some of these young greats come
into the room, where Jon also wants to coach them and lift them up.
And Jon’s a heck of a teacher himself, so who knows? Maybe Jon Jone
will be coaching Gable Steveson to UFC heavyweight glory one
day.”

Steveson is former two-time NCAA champ who won gold at the 2020
Tokyo Olympics in the freestyle heavyweight category. He then chose
to pursue a short-lived career in the WWE before transitioning to
football. Steveson signed with the Buffalo Bills without ever
having played football and was released just before the 2024
season. However, he hasn’t given up on his NFL dreams and reportedly worked out for the Baltimore Ravens
in September.