Gable Steveson is finally going to make his MMA debut after a long and hard training regimen. He’ll be making his debut under the Legacy Fighting Alliance promotion at LFA 217 against a 1-0 record holder, Braden Peterson, in September. But before he gets to that fight, Steveson appears to have another matchup coming up before he steps inside the eight-sided cage.

So, the former Olympic gold medalist is going to compete around a couple of weeks before his MMA debut at Craig Jones Invitational against Craig Jones. It’s been dubbed a superfight grappling match, but not everyone is thrilled. In fact, Steveson’s decision to compete in this tournament has left UFC legend Chael Sonnen perplexed. Here’s what he had to say.

Chael Sonnen can’t comprehend why Gable Steveson is competing at CJI

If we take a look at Gable Steveson’s MMA debut opponent, he’s 37 years old and only has one fight under his belt. So, maybe he’s not that much of a danger, promoting the 25-year-old to take part in CJI. However, MMA is a crazy sport, and as far as Craig Jones is concerned, Chael Sonnen claimed that competing against him won’t be an easy task for Steveson.

Furthermore, given that MMA and grappling are two distinct forms of combat sports competitions, Chael Sonnen seems a bit “confused” as to why Gable Steveson decided to say yes to Craig Jones. The fights take place just weeks apart, which has ‘The American Gangster’ concerned if Steveson will be able to re-adjust his attention quickly from one fight to the other.

“Gable’s next scheduled professional bout is at the end of August. And it’s a completely different sport against Craig Jones, which is a completely different style, and that style and dealing with Craig would take all of your mental focus, no matter what good athlete you are,” Chael Sonnen stated on his YouTube Channel. “I don’t believe it’s possible to put all your focus into Craig Jones… Craig is going to force right off the top… And now, we’re getting an announcement of an MMA fight.”

Moreover, Chael Sonnen also pointed out that this news came out of nowhere that Gable Steveson would be fighting Craig Jones days before his MMA debut. And guess what? He believes there is something wrong with the people who represent him.

Sonnen questions Steveson’s representative

Gable Steveson is not your ordinary athlete; he’s an Olympic gold medalist. So, he should be competing sparingly, according to Chael Sonnen. As such, the UFC legend pointed his finger at the person who “speaks for him,” or his representative, exactly. Sonnen raised issues with Steveson’s representative regarding his or her legitimacy, effectiveness, and credibility in properly advocating for the Olympic champion.

Claiming that Gable Steveson may need to make changes to his management team, Chael Sonnen further stated, “I’m all for it, by the way. I’m just confused how we got here,” on his YouTube channel. “Somebody speaks for Gable, and that somebody does not have the contacts that the youngest Olympic champion in history that you would perceive that they have.”

Well, it appears to be a big gamble for Gable Steveson when it comes to the CJI match. He might walk away fine, but there is always a chance of getting injured and putting his MMA debut in jeopardy. What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below.