Jon Jones believes Gable Steveson will be wearing UFC gold by 2027, and he is saying it with the conviction of someone who sees that work up close.
In a recent interview with Helen Yee during Super Bowl week in San Francisco, Jones lit up when Steveson’s name came up. He called the Olympic champion “unbelievable,” praised him as an athlete and as a person, and admitted that Steveson is “way more disciplined and dedicated” than he was at the same age.
Jon Jones Tips Gable Steveson as Future UFC Champion
Jones even went a step further, saying he is “scared for the future of the UFC” because he expects Steveson to “wreck people” once he hits the heavyweight division. When pressed on a timeline, Jones predicted “this time next year” for Steveson to become UFC champion once he signs, insisting there will be “no stopping him” given his current trajectory.
That timeline lands on a prospect who has already started to make that transition. Steveson grabbed Olympic freestyle gold at heavyweight at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), snatching the win with two late takedowns in one of the most dramatic finishes of the Games. He followed that with back‑to‑back NCAA heavyweight titles for the University of Minnesota before stepping away from amateur wrestling. After a stint in WWE that produced only one televised match and ended with his release in May 2024, he briefly signed with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, who cut him before the regular season.
Since then, Steveson has turned fully toward MMA. He booked his professional debut with LFA 217 in Minnesota and, at 25, entered the cage as one of the most decorated wrestlers ever to test the sport. On September 12, 2025, he stopped Braden Peterson by first‑round TKO via ground‑and‑pound, needing less than a round to showcase the size, speed, and control that made him a star on the mat. He then followed that up with an even faster finish at Anthony Pettis FC 21 in November 2025, scoring a 24‑second knockout that pushed him to 2‑0 and immediately raised talk of a quick jump to a major promotion.
Jones has been a central figure in that shift. Steveson has credited a training camp with Jones as one of the reasons he committed to MMA, saying the former champion’s example helped pull him away from football and back toward combat sports.
Recent footage shows the two working together on striking details, footwork and timing, with Jones even teaching him the spinning back kick that finished Stipe Miocic. Clips from those sessions show Steveson driving Jones to the mat in grappling exchanges and ripping through pad work, underlining the kind of power and balance that make Jones so bullish on his ceiling.
For now, Steveson and his team appear focused on building experience outside the UFC, with Jones saying they “have goals outside of the UFC” to ensure he is fully established before signing. The heavyweight contender is scheduled to stay active on the regional scene, with key dates centered on events like LFA 217 and Anthony Pettis FC cards as he rounds out his game.
