Gable Steveson is one win away from the UFC, and he is aware of precisely what which means. The Olympic‑gold‑medal wrestler returns this Thursday at Mexico Fight League 3 in Monterrey, dealing with 14‑battle veteran Hugo Lezama in what has turn into a de facto UFC audition for the 25‑yr‑previous heavyweight prospect. A victory would put Steveson at 3–0 in MMA, with all three finishes coming in beneath a minute, and push him nearer to the stage he desires: the Octagon, probably alongside mentor Jon Jones.
Gable Steveson Simply One Win Away from the UFC With Jon Jones at His Facet
Steveson has already laid out his imaginative and prescient. He instructed MMA Fighting that if he wins in Mexico, he plans to name for his UFC debut on the White Home, tying his subsequent step on to the UFC’s return to Washington. UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard was seen at Steveson’s 15‑second knockout of Billy Swanson at Dirty Boxing Championship 4, and the 2 later had what Steveson described as a “wholesome” dialog about his path towards the promotion. UFC president Dana White has mentioned the group is “very a lot” fascinated by Steveson as soon as he gathers extra expertise, an open‑door sign that this weekend is as a lot about optics as it’s about document.
The narrative round Steveson has grown louder with each end. He’s already being labeled because the “savior” of a heavyweight division starved for recent attracts. He hears the discuss however insists he has extra to indicate. “I really feel like I put in quite a lot of nice work,” he mentioned. “It was inevitable that it was going to be this fast, with the title, the stature that I include. It was going to occur. You simply bought to placed on a superb present for the individuals and allow them to soak it in on who you may be. And I really feel like who I may be hasn’t even been seen by lots of people but.”
Steveson’s relationship with Jones is central to how he talks about his development. He referred to as Jones a legend, a detailed good friend, and a coach . “Oh man, my relationship with him is the whole lot,” Steveson mentioned. “It’s sort of created the way in which I battle. It’s sort of created the way in which I need to battle sooner or later. He’s my shut good friend. He’s my coach. He’s the whole lot in between. I take the whole lot he says and I soak all of it in to verify he’s proud and ensure all the opposite coaches are proud.”
Jones has rarely attached himself so closely to another fighter, but he has publicly stated that he believes Steveson is built for a major UFC run and is willing to coach him. Steveson has trained with Jones’ team, including drills that mirror Jones’ own preparation, and he credits that environment for sharpening his fight IQ and striking. He also acknowledges that Jones’ own controversies create skepticism from outsiders, but he separates the mentorship from the noise. “You know, a lot of people kind of overshadow with a lot of other things,” he said. “If you look over that overshadowing part, his mentorship is the best thing that we can have.”
Steveson is still wrestling‑first in identification, whilst he leans into MMA. “I’m an MMA man, however I’m a wrestler first,” he mentioned. “I simply let different issues come earlier than wrestling proper now to indicate the world who I’m. When it comes time, I’ll throw the punches, the photographs, the knees, the elbows. However I’m at all times wrestle first. I present like to all of the wrestling neighborhood. One way or the other I simply bought electrical energy in my arms, and it simply works like that too.”
On the fan‑driven hype, he projects humility and ambition in the same breath. “I appreciate all the words that all the fans are saying,” he said. “If I have any fans, I hope I’ve got a lot. I appreciate the words that they’re all saying and may they keep guiding those words to make me a bigger star than I even thought I could be.”
He is also blunt about the pressure tag. “I’ve been in those big spots before,” he said. “There’s no pressure. We’re trained for that. Pressure makes diamonds. And like I always say, Gabriel gets money and he gets a lot of it, too. So with those diamonds, he’ll keep creating.”
This weekend, the pressure is factual: one win away from the UFC, in front of a global audience watching Steveson decide whether his star power matches his skill.
