Since stepping away from active competition, UFC legend Jon Jones is now mentoring Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. The 24-year-old joined the ‘Bones’ camp in 2024. Now, Steveson is training under Jones’ guidance as he moves closer to a potential UFC debut. However, the mentorship has raised concerns.

Fans and critics still regard Jones as one of the greatest fighters inside the Octagon, but his issues outside the Octagon continue to draw scrutiny. The debate intensified this week after Jon Jones announced his return as a coach on the Russian version of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter, where he will lead a team against longtime rival Daniel Cormier. Now, UFC veteran Brendan Schaub has raised concerns, questioning whether ‘Bones’ history makes him the right mentor for young fighters.

UFC veteran Schaub points to alternative mentors for rising stars over Jon Jones

“There’s only one Jon, and that’s why he’s the GOAT. The reason he’s the GOAT is because of what he did inside the Octagon. He’s not the GOAT as far as outside the Octagon,” said Brendan Schaub on his YouTube show.  During his career, Jon Jones dominated opponents like Alexander Gustafsson, Lyoto Machida, and many others.

Still, past issues, including a hit-and-run involving a pregnant woman, domestic violence allegations, and an altercation with a cocktail waitress, keep resurfacing whenever people question his leadership or role-model status. Schaub suggested better names to consider.

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“You take into consideration accomplishments inside and outside the Octagon, it’s Mighty Mouse. It’s Mighty Mouse, or it’s GSP. Those are guys that would be great mentors,” Schaub added.

Raised in a religious family as the son of a pastor, Jon Jones faced legal trouble early, spending three months in prison at age seventeen, and those issues have followed him for decades. On top of that, he also hurt his reputation inside the Octagon by using the then-illegal 12-6 elbow on Matt Hamill in 2009 and facing the hit-and-run case that forced the UFC to strip him of the LHW title and remove him from the rankings.

Jones’ issues carried over into his fights with Daniel Cormier. When he pulled out of their bout before UFC 200, that triggered a USADA flag for PED use and cost him the interim LHW title. A year later, the two finally got to fight each other at the UFC 214 event. But that too was surrounded by controversy. Jones tested positive for the steroid Turinabol turned his win into a no-contest, further complicating his legacy.

Additionally, Jones remained linked to controversy; last year, he allegedly fled the scene of an accident and reportedly threatened the police, though the charges were later dropped in September.

Chael Sonnen lays out the MMA approach for Gable Steveson

Gable Steveson has made a strong start in MMA, holding a 2-0 record, along with experience in one custom-rules boxing match. His ultimate goal remains the UFC, following the path of his mentor Jon Jones. However, the UFC has set conditions that prevent Steveson from entering directly, requiring him to go through TUF or DWCS instead.

Steveson wants a direct entry, similar to Jones, but his last three fights in other promotions have drawn criticism. Chael Sonnen has called this approach “silliness,” arguing that it wastes Steveson’s potential. Last year, Chael Sonnen encouraged Steveson to take his career seriously and also stressed the importance of working with the “right coach.”

“He spent some time in MMA. He even spent some time with Robbie Lawler as his coach… spent some time in Jon Jones’s camp and was in Jon Jones’s corner. Now, that’s not the kind of MMA he needs. He needs the kind of MMA where he is the pupil now, where he comes in and he’s the head wrestling coach or, you know, he’s the cool guy with an Olympic gold medal. He needs to humble himself,” Chael Sonnen said.

Should the NCAA standout reconsider, especially given Jones’s well-documented history of legal troubles? Share your thoughts below.