Despite announcing his retirement back in June of last year, Jon Jones‘ name was swiftly in the mix when people were talking about the potential fight card for the UFC White House event. The rumored opponent for the former UFC Heavyweight Champion was Tom Aspinall. Aspinall is someone who fans believed was the reason for Jones’ unexpected retirement, as they were convinced that Jones was scared of the English fighter. While the UFC fan base is still questioning if Jones can put up a good fight if he comes out of retirement, his teammate Gable Steveson shared why Jones was unstoppable.

Gable Steveson recounts Jon Jones’ bizarrely fierce workout despite illness

Former WWE Superstar and Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson was a special guest on the Joe Rogan’s podcast, episode #142 of JRE MMA Show. During the episode, Steveson recalled his time at Jones’ camp in 2024. Steveson shared that when Jones was set to fight Stipe Miocic, he was very ill and still trained hard and went on to win the fight as well.

“At the time, I had a baby French bulldog. He passed away… He let me go home. I came back on a Tuesday. I didn’t see Jon till Thursday. Mind you, this is a week before he’s going out there for Stipe. He’s sick, like super sick.” Gable Steveson said.

Since late 2024, Steveson has worked with Jon Jones in his training camp, joining as a coach to help ‘Bones’ prepare for his fight against Stipe Miocic. Over time, their collaboration built a strong professional bond.

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“I watched this guy do five rounds on a Thursday, and they shark baited him with five new people. He’s dead tired. That’s when I knew he was unstoppable. He went out there, nobody could touch him. High-class PFL fighters, ex-UFC fighters, ex-Glory kickboxers were going in there after him, and he was just mopping them,” he added.

Jon Jones put on one of the most unforgettable performances of his career at UFC 309 inside Madison Square Garden. In what would be his last fight, he sent the 43-year-old Stipe Miocic into retirement with a spinning back kick.

Although ‘Bones’ had not competed in MMA recently, he continues to guide Gable Steveson, who is now transitioning into MMA and following the path of his mentor.

Jon Jones is confident in Gable Steveson’s UFC potential

Gable Steveson originally joined Jon Jones’ camp as a wrestling coach. Now, the New Mexico native coaches Steveson in MMA, guiding him through his transition to mixed martial arts. Steveson debuted in MMA in late 2025 and quickly compiled a 2-0 record, along with one boxing match under Jones’ co-owned “dirty boxing” promotion.

So far, Steveson’s MMA journey has mirrored his wrestling career—a brief but impressive start. Still, he has a long road ahead to reach the level Jones envisions. When Dana White & Co. denied him a direct entry and suggested he go through DWCS, neither Steveson nor Jon Jones agreed. Instead, they chose to compete outside the UFC, racking up wins to build Steveson’s resume.

At this point, Jones confidently looks ahead to his protégé’s future. “It’s not a matter of if he can, it’s a matter of when,” he said. “I’ve had many great teammates over the years, but I’ve always said if I would ever be a coach, it would have to be a wrestler who was completely committed to success. I found my guy, and I’m excited to add world championship coach to my resume.”

What do you think about Gable Steveson’s MMA journey so far? Do you believe he can follow in his mentor Jon Jones’s footsteps and make a major impact in the UFC? Share your predictions below.