The UFC heavyweight division is going forward without Jon Jones, but one person isn’t sitting on the sidelines. ‘Bones’ has moved his attention away from chasing titles. Instead, he has taken an uncommon step by fully committing to coaching one of his finest students, Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, with the intention of developing him into the next UFC heavyweight champion. What does this mean for Steveson, the division, and Jones’ own legacy? Chael Sonnen has the answer.

While the UFC prepares for its next heavyweight matchup, Steveson is quietly gaining momentum. The 23-year-old had an explosive professional MMA debut earlier this month at LFA 217, defeating Braden Peterson via first-round TKO. Gable Steveson has a wrestling record that includes an Olympic gold medal and two Division I national championships at Minnesota.

Great things ahead for Gable Steveson in MMA?

There is one caveat, however. Steveson’s transfer to MMA has some questioning how quickly he will adjust to the Octagon. Enter Jon Jones, a man who understands what it takes to dominate at the highest level inside the Octagon. ‘Bones’ made it clear that Gable Steveson has his undivided attention. As expected, this had the MMA world buzzing. Former UFC middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen recently dropped a strong take on his YouTube channel.

According to ‘The American Gangster,’ Gable Steveson has no room for error with Jones in his corner. “He has no room to stub his toe. He’s got Jon Jones in his corner, carnival barking for him, saying, ‘He’s going to be the world champion — I am going to be there for it’,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel, leaving fans wondering just how far Jones’ mentorship could push Steveson.

To further his case, Chael Sonnen noted that his opinion isn’t the only one supporting Jones’ teaching abilities. Holly Holm, who trained with him at Jackson-Wink MMA, also praised his standup technique and general MMA tactics. “She said he understood things from a standup realm in MMA. She said how great he was. And I do love the idea. I think that it really adds to Jon’s legacy. I truly do. To coach a world champion is very rare.”

Sonnen and Holm’s words highlight how uncommon and significant it is for a former champion of Jones’ caliber to transition into mentorship, influencing another fighter’s career in real time. It surely brings a new dimension to his legacy. He’s more than just one of MMA’s best fighters; he’s also actively nurturing the next heavyweight champion. But why exactly did he take this step?

Jon Jones explains the reason behind his new coaching career

Jon Jones’ decision to become a coach was not impulsive. While waiting to see if UFC CEO Dana White would grant him a final shot at the upcoming White House event, the 38-year-old superstar saw a unique opportunity to coach Gable Steveson. The Olympic gold champion already showed immense potential in MMA, defeating his first opponent in 98 seconds, and Jones couldn’t resist taking the reins.

“It felt like cheating,” Jones said, referring to how quickly Steveson won under his leadership. So, the motivation was clear: finding the right athlete to coach. “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,” Jones said.

Steveson’s wrestling background and early MMA prowess made him an excellent protégé. But for now, Gable Steveson will take a little break from MMA to compete in Dirty Boxing at DBX4 on October 30 against Billy Swanson in a promotion co-owned by Jones and Mike Perry. Fans are curious to see how he adapts to life outside of wrestling, but ‘Bones’ is optimistic about his protégé’s potential. This new coaching chapter surely adds another layer to Jon Jones’ legacy beyond his fighting career.