Jon Jones and Jackson Wink MMA may be taking another Olympic gold medalist under their wing based on a social media exchange between Jones and Gable Steveson.
This week, Gable Steveson has begun to tease a transition to mixed martial arts after bringing home a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at this summer’s Olympic Games. The thought of such a decorated athlete entering the sport at such a young age was immediately met with intrigue and excitement, and one of the people to take notice was UFC great Jon “Bones” Jones.
After posting an inspirational quote on his Instagram page, Jon Jones had a special visitor pop up in his comments section, which ended in an invitation and apparent acceptance of a future training arrangement (h/t Damon Martin).
“‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.’ Find your passion and go after it with all you got,” Jones posted, to which Steveson co-signed with a “100%” emoji.
“@gablesteveson, if you’re serious about MMA, hope you decide to train here in Albuquerque,” Jones suggested.
“@jonnybones message me. I want to come down and roll,” Steveson replied.
Imagine footage being made available of Jon Jones rolling with Gable Steveson. Better yet, imagine the two potential training partners someday becoming opponents inside the UFC Octagon. There’s no telling what could come from a Gable Steveson visit to Jackson Wink MMA.
The last time an Olympic gold medalist decided to train at Jackson Wink was at the end of last year when boxer Claressa Shields joined the team. Shields has since made her MMA debut, where she pulled off a come-from-behind victory over Brittney Elkin at PFL 4 in June. Perhaps Steveson will be next to join the fold before or after officially deciding to enter the world of mixed martial arts.
MMA News will keep you up to speed on any further developments on Gable Steveson’s free agency as it pertains to a possible transition into MMA.
