Back when Jon Jones was getting ready for his title defense against Stipe Miocic, he found a prospect who had the potential to dominate the HW division of any fight promotion. And that’s something he got to know about during his UFC 309 training camp. Talking about the potential debutant for Dana White and Co., Jones claimed, “He’s going to be scary. He’s going to be very scary when he decides to do MMA. He knows how to make men appear very weak – me being one of them.” But who is the heavyweight fighter that got even the UFC heavyweight champion scared? Well, it’s none other than Gable Steveson.
But does Steveson wish to get into the MMA cage? He already has a Henry Cejudo-like wrestling career. By that, we mean that he has earned an Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On top of that, he’s a 2-time NCAA Division I champion, 4-time Big Ten Conference champion, 2-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, and 5-time All-American winner out of the University of Minnesota.
He has already put his name as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time in NCAA history. After all, he has won 102 bouts and lost only 2 in his wrestling career. All that Steveson needed to do now to get into the MMA scene, according to Jones, was to learn boxing and a little bit of Jiu-Jitsu. ‘Bones’ believed, “It’s not a matter of if he’ll become a UFC champion, it’s when he’ll be a UFC champion.”
You see, becoming a champion in the UFC is a dream every single martial artist has had. And that includes the Olympian as well. And that’s what he hinted at when he had a talk with Mike Perry and Josh McLean on the Overdogs Podcast. ‘Bagz’ pointed out that Steveson had the option of choosing between UFC, NFL, and WWE. But he wondered what he would choose and in what order.
Steveson responded, “Man, I want to put the gloves on. I want to be a UFC star.” But he didn’t just want to stop at being a star. He wanted more. The 24-year-old continued, “I want to be a champion. I want to hold that belt up high and be in the heavyweight division. And I think the main thing is taking the time with it and making sure everything is polished and right. So, when I do shoot off that rocket ship, it’s not stopping. And so, that’s the main thing right now.”
NCAA, College League, USA Wrestling: DI Wrestling Mar 21, 2025 Philadelphia, PA, USA Gable Steveson of Minnesota looks on before the quarterfinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center PA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBillxStreicherx 20250321_bs_sq4_00146
But do you know what exactly made the Olympic champion inclined towards a debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship? It was indeed all because of Dana White’s favorite champion, Jon Jones. Let’s see how the heavyweight champion instilled the desire to step into the MMA world in Steveson.
Gable Steveson reveals how Jon Jones made him dream of his MMA debut
During a conversation with Ariel Helwani on his talk show, Steveson revealed how training alongside Jones helped him dream about stepping into the MMA picture. He said, “After being in that camp with Jon Jones, that definitely put a major spark in me to go out there and do MMA. Not sure the promotion yet, but Jon definitely lit a fire under me, and was like, ‘Hey, I think you should go back to wrestling. I think you should try MMA. We have a great team out here in Albuquerque if you want to join us.’ It was just fascinating how I got into something so quick. When I put on the gloves, everything felt like home base. With the wrestling, with the boxing, with the jiu-jitsu, I feel like I’d be very good really quick.”
However, the 24-year-old’s career has recently witnessed a dip. To be more precise, he got his second defeat in wrestling. Steveson faced Wyatt Hendrickson for the first time at the NCAA 2021. Needless to say, he beat Hendrickson and went on ahead in the championship. But now, Hendrickson exacted his revenge and secured a pretty cool takedown with just 20 seconds left to their bout at the 2025 NCAA wrestling championship in Philly. Nevertheless, he received some commendations from his training partner. Jones said, “Proud of my brother. A loss on the mat doesn’t define anything – his work ethic, heart, and character speak for themselves. One of the hardest-working, most impressive young men I’ve met in a long time. Higher and higher we climb.”
And while the NCAA star made the MMA world tremble, he expressed his desire to meet the UFC CEO following his Olympic win. However, that was a meeting that never really materialized. And it was just because White couldn’t find the right time, despite being enthusiastic to meet the Olympian. But when they finally meet, we know what they’re going to talk about.
What are your thoughts on Steveson’s UFC debut? Do you think he can put enough pressure in the UFC heavyweight division and claim Jones’ belt if he ever debuts in the fight promotion? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post Mentored by Jon Jones, Olympic Gold Medalist Sends Clear Message to Dana White About Potential UFC Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.
