“I mean, his coach is Jon Jones,” Daniel Cormier stated during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani while commenting on Gable Steveson’s chances in UFC. While the comments did not sit well with a section of the combat sports community, the undisputed women’s boxing heavyweight champion, Claressa Shields, has now responded to DC’s comments on ‘Bones’.

With a 2-0 MMA record, Gable Steveson, under Jon Jones’ guidance, has already created waves in the MMA world, with Joe Rogan already ranking him as a top 5 heavyweight in the world. However, his commentary partner, Daniel Cormier, questioned the Olympic Gold medallist’s coaching under Jones, and the latter’s controversial history could create problems for Steveson. With that said, Jones’ former training partner, Claressa Shields, recently challenged Cormier by sharing her perspective on Jones.

Claressa Shields shrugs off criticism over Jon Jones’ mentorship

Claressa Shields, who received help from Jon Jones to improve her MMA skills, fired back on X at Daniel Cormier and other critics who questioned Jones’ coaching skills. “I hate haters like this. Not liking @JonnyBones is one thing. But to say Gable won’t make it far with Jonny as his coach is crazy!”

She further added, “Jonny is a great coach, he helped me win some MMA fights! He’s very smart inside that cage! He has real knowledge plus championship experience. This (Cormier) guy has to chill,” Shields added.

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While Jon Jones dominated the sport, defeating elite opponents like Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Rashad Evans, Stipe Miocic, and Ciryl Gane, DC had a bitter relationship with ‘Bones’ due to his controversial history. After ‘Bones’ went head-to-head with ‘DC’, pitting the two top coaches against each other on the ALF reality show, it only intensified the rivalry between them.

Like Gable Steveson, Shields competed in the Olympics and won two medals before becoming the only boxer to hold all four major world titles: WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. Then in 2020, she signed a three-year contract with the PFL, where Jones actively supported her. During her stint in the PFL, she compiled a 2-1 record before retiring from MMA last summer. Alongside training under IBJJF No-Gi world champion Roberto Alencar and Holly Holm, Shields trained at the Jon Jones Jackson Wink MMA Academy under ‘Bones’ guidance.

While DC worries Jones’ involvement could affect newcomers like Gable Steveson, Gable continues to train under ‘Bones’. He focuses not only on MMA but also on boxing and other challenges, which has already earned him a warning from Chael Sonnen.

Gable Steveson’s “silliness” draws criticism

Since winning Olympic gold in wrestling, Gable Steveson has actively explored different athletic opportunities, including a brief stint in the NFL and a move to WWE. When he teamed up with Jon Jones to prepare for UFC 309, the 24-year-old stepped into MMA for the first time. Under Jones’ guidance, he started shaping his future as a potential UFC successor.

In just two MMA fights, Steveson already proved his immense potential. Along the way, he competed in BJJ against Craig Jones at the second edition of CJI and took part in a boxing matchup under custom rules at Jon Jones’ co-owned promotion. Despite all this, Chael Sonnen questioned the wisdom of these moves.

“I’m just sharing that those opportunities aren’t going to stop coming Gable’s way anytime soon, and they’re gonna get sillier and sillier… The silliness is not going to end until Gable makes it end,” Chael Sonnen added. “Time will go on… Before you know it, you’re 30, you’re 32. You’re not the young guy anymore. In fact, you’re not even a guy that any coach is looking for. There’s no gym anywhere in the world for any sport that a 32-year-old can walk in and have a coach get excited about.”

How do you see the situation with Gable Steveson? Could his connection with Jon Jones and the surrounding concerns create problems for him? Let us know your thoughts below.