Gable Steveson wants Jon Jones cornering him to scare UFC 329 foes
Gable Steveson wants his UFC 329 opponent to feel the weight of Jon Jones watching from the corner.
The Olympic gold medalist makes his promotional debut Saturday against Elisha Ellison in Las Vegas, and the 26-year-old heavyweight believes having the retired pound-for-pound great octagon side will create psychological pressure before the first punch flies. Steveson told MMA Fighting that Jones has invested heavily in his MMA development, seeing parallels between their skill sets. "He's got high hopes for me," Steveson said. "I think he kind of sees his skill set, and kind of sees what I can do with his skill set."
Jones' presence a mental edge for Steveson
Steveson enters the UFC with three finishes in three pro fights, all ending in the opening round, and added a tech fall victory over former UFC fighter Alexandr Romanov in a May wrestling exhibition at RAF 9. Now under the tutelage of the sport's most decorated champion, he expects opponents to second-guess themselves when they spot Jones in his corner. "The opponents are going to look at Jon and be like, 'Wow, that's the greatest of all time in the corner of Gable Steveson showing him what to do," Steveson explained, per MMA Fighting. "So it's a huge confidence boost and, hopefully, when he walks out, the opponents get a little more scared."
Jones vacated the heavyweight title after announcing his retirement, with Tom Aspinall now holding the strap. Steveson left the door open for his mentor to share a card with him someday but offered no guarantees. "Jon's going to do whatever Jon wants to do, and if he wants to fight again, he'll fight again," he said.
UFC 329 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Steveson weighed in Friday at heavyweight.
Original reporting:
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