Jon Jones has rarely attached his name to the future of another fighter, but in Gable Steveson, he sees someone worth investing in. The former two-division UFC champion has made it clear that his belief in Steveson is tied to potential and the complete package he brings to mixed martial arts.Back in 2023, Steveson was initially expected to join Jones for a training camp. However, Jones suffered an injury that delayed the collaboration. Eventually, Steveson became an important part of Jones' camp when he was preparing for his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.He recently took to X to lavish praises on Steveson when a fan asked him whether the Olympic wrestler has the potential to be a UFC champion. Jones wrote:"It’s not a matter of if he can, it’s a matter of when. 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."Check out Jon Jones' comments below:Steveson repaid that mentorship with a solid debut performance at LFA 217 in September 2025. The Olympic gold medalist secured a 98-second stoppage win that validated the hype around his crossover.Steveson is now set for his Dirty Boxing debut on Oct. 30 in Nashville. He will headline the event against Billy Swanson at Dirty Boxing Championship 4.When Gable Steveson said training with Jon Jones "lit a fire" to make a move to MMALong before his professional debut, Steveson was already balancing multiple career paths. Following his Olympic triumph in 2021, he spent time with WWE and even tried out for the NFL as part of the Buffalo Bills' preseason roster.By late 2024, however, his focus shifted closer to combat sports after joining Jones in Albuquerque to assist with preparations for the UFC 309 title fight. That camp exposed him to a full range of disciplines, from boxing and kickboxing to jiu-jitsu, and offered a glimpse of what a long-term career in MMA could look like.Steveson admitted at the time that putting on gloves and blending skills sparked something different inside him. Working alongside Jones and his team left a lasting impact, and he described the experience as both an education and a turning point.Speaking in an interview with MMA Fighting, Steveson said:"I tell you it definitely lit a fire under me. Being in that camp definitely put a big, big gas light and lit it really hard and burned the fumes in me.... I’m honored to be in Albuquerque with Jon and Brandon Gibson and Greg Jackson and all the other guys, too, to showcase who I was but also for them to put their eyes on me and put me through a lot of drills and put me through a lot of work. That’s where I kind of fell in love with it.”