Gable Steveson is confident that he has the right team in place to succeed in mixed martial arts, and that group includes Jon Jones.
The 2020 Olympic freestyle wrestling champion is already being talked about as one of the top prospects in MMA, with a UFC debut looking more like a matter of when than if.
Since linking up with Jones, Steveson has picked up three wins, all by first-round knockout.
But despite the fast start, Daniel Cormier believes keeping Jones involved might not be in Steveson’s best interest. In a recent episode of “Good Guy / Bad Guy” on ESPN, Cormier offered a word of warning to the young fighter.
Why Daniel Cormier thinks Gable Steveson should cut ties with Jon Jones
Cormier didn’t mince words when discussing why he thinks Gable Steveson should reconsider his relationship with Jones. According to him, there’s more risk than reward in keeping Jon around.
Jon Jones has been part of Steveson’s camp from the beginning, bringing a wealth of experience from his long career in the sport.
Across nearly two decades in the Octagon, he built one of the most decorated resumes in UFC history, holding records for both title fight wins and successful defences.
Even so, Cormier remains sceptical. He pointed to Jones’ history of distractions and off-field issues as reasons to question whether he can fully commit to guiding Steveson’s rise.
“I believe he (Steveson) has a real chance to be a world champion,” Cormier said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“I believe there are some factors that may slow down [that trajectory] — his coach is Jon Jones.
“As long as he lets the other coaches coach him, yes. But if Jon is actually coaching him, I don’t know,” he added.
The 25-year-old didn’t hold back when asked about doubts surrounding his trainer. Instead, he made it clear just how much faith he has in Jones’ leadership.
“My relationship with him is everything,” Steveson told MMA Fighting.
“I don’t think he does [get enough credit]. I think a lot of people overshadow [his abilities] with a lot of things with just fighting and a lot of the things he has going on. His mentorship is the best thing that we can have.
“He’s the best fighter of all-time leading a new guy to maybe be that person also. It’s a one of a kind opportunity and I’m all ears. I’m a sponge. Just soaking in all the knowledge that I can,” he added.
“He’s perfect. He’s everything you want in a coach. He shows up on time. He’s ready to work. He’s ready to work overtime, also. So the narrative of him being not there, his ego’s there — it’s non-existent with him.”.
When is Gable Steveson scheduled to fight again?
Steveson managed to stay unbeaten in his third fight, surviving a head kick scare before finishing Hugo Lezama at Mexico Fight League 3 back in February.
After that win, Steveson was hoping to feature on the UFC White House card for his debut. However, despite discussions about signing him for the event, he didn’t make the final lineup.
With his UFC debut still on hold, the 25-year-old is set to return to wrestling next.
He’s scheduled to appear at Real American Freestyle’s ninth event on May 30, though an opponent hasn’t been announced yet.
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