An Olympic champion is making waves inside the cage.
While Gable Steveson initially focused on professional wrestling with the WWE and American football as potential careers, he’s since found his way to mixed martial arts and is quickly establishing himself as a leading prospect.
With Jon Jones coaching Steveson, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling has quickly reeled off wins in both MMA and Dirty Boxing. After Steveson’s 98-second knockout in his MMA debut, the 25-year-old needed even less time to show his striking development at DBX 4 last Friday.
Those two results have been enough for Jones’ most bitter rival to describe his teammate as America’s top prospect, jumping off another All-American wrestler in the process…
Bo Nickal moments after his UFC Fight Night loss to Reinier De Ridder
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Daniel Cormier swaps Bo Nickal for Gable Steveson as America’s best hope for another UFC champion
Steveson’s Dirty Boxing debut ended in 13 seconds, as the Indiana native ran through his outmatched opponent in front of UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard.
That has quickly sparked talk of a quick arrival on MMA’s biggest stage for the wrestling legend, who is already being tipped by Daniel Cormier for big things in the promotion’s heavyweight division.
“An American to get excited about,” Cormier said on his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen. “That’s Gable Steveson.
“They asked me a couple of weeks ago who still is the greatest potential to be a UFC champion, American-born…I still said Bo Nickal.
“I’ve changed now. It’s Gable Steveson,” he continued. “There are no wrestlers at heavyweight. Jon Jones is the wrestler, and look at the way Jon Jones made a fight with Ciryl Gane look because he had wrestling.
“Gable can do all those things. … It sounds like Jones is taking a really hands-on approach to training him.
“This dude, I believe today, he is the best American prospect to potentially become a UFC champion.”
Nickal’s undefeated start in MMA built hype around his name, but a lackluster performance against Paul Craig and subsequent first loss at the hands of Reinier de Ridder have dampened things for the welterweight up-and-comer.
Jon Jones said coaching ‘feels like cheating’ with Gable Steveson
Jones vacated the UFC heavyweight title this past summer and announced his retirement. While it remains to be seen whether that decision will stand amid his calls to Dana White for a White House comeback, ‘Bones’ is exploring other avenues in the sport.
That includes coaching Steveson, and the UFC GOAT contender spoke about his experience in the new role following the 25-year-old’s successful MMA debut under the LFA banner in September.
“Coaching is always rewarding,” Jones wrote on Instagram.
“But let’s be honest, when the athlete is @GableSteveson, it feels like cheating.
“Man’s a human cheat code, and we just get to hold the controller,” he added.