Gable Steveson has named his Mount Rushmore of MMA heavyweights, and some fight fans on social media are outraged by one omission.
My Mount Rushmore of heavyweights would probably be, Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, and I always have to throw Brock Lesnar in.
Fedor Emelianenko’s omission is a choice, and has caused a stir on MMA Twitter. Many consider The Last Emperor to be the G.O.A.T., Steveson rationalized the decision by pointing to Lesnar’s undeniable results at the box office. “When Brock showed up, people watched and people cared.”
He called Lesnar one of the best combat sports athletes of all time, and added, “What an honor it was to be next to him in the Gopher wrestling room and in many other things. What a great time we’ve had.”
Gable Steveson on Jon Jones
Steveson spoke very highly of Jon Jones, who he considers a mentor and a really close friend. “I grew up watching the guy. He kind of watched my Olympic career. To kind of be friends now, it’s great. An amazing dude. He puts forth his best effort with me. When he comes into the gym, he’s always on me, and however long it takes to get something correct, he’s there the whole time.”
Jon Jones is a legend in a great sport. A lot of people want to hate him one day and want to love him one day, but you can’t deny — he’s the one of one.
Gable Steveson’s Next MMA Fight
Gable Steveson is 2-0 in professional MMA, with an upcoming third fight against Hugo Lezama at Mexican Fight League 3 on February 19, 2026.
The 2020 Olympic gold medalist, two-time NCAA Division I national champion, two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, four-time Big Ten champion, and five-time All-American at University of Minnesota, won his professional MMA debut against Braden Peterson at LFA 217 on September 12, 2025, and his second bout with a 24-second knockout in late 2025.
