Jon Jones recently lauded Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson, proclaiming him a future champion in the realm of MMA.
"Bones" is preparing for the inaugural defense of his heavyweight title against former champion Stipe Miocic in the headline bout of UFC 309, set to take place on November 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Jones will enter the Octagon after a 20-month hiatus, having last fought when he claimed the heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 in March 2023. The 34-year-old New Yorker was initially set to face Miocic at UFC 295 last November, but he had to withdraw just two weeks prior to the bout due to a pectoral injury.
In preparation for his upcoming bout, "Bones" has recruited the expertise of two prominent figures, Steveson and former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, to aid in his training. Earlier this week, several photos and videos surfaced, showcasing Jones sparring alongside Steveson and Parker at his longtime training base, the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Steveson recently took to Instagram to share a training photo with Jones. In the post's comments, "Bones" hailed the American wrestler as the future champion of the heavyweight MMA division.
Future MMA heavyweight champion, mark my words."
- Jon Jones on Gable Steveson's potential in MMA
Steveson clinched Olympic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021, defeating Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili in the final. Shortly after, he was offered a WWE contract and made his professional wrestling debut at SummerSlam 2021.
However, the 24-year-old's stint with the promotion was cut short, as he was reportedly released due to insufficient progress at WWE’s Performance Center.
