Jon Jones looked like a proud dad Friday night (Sept. 12, 2025) at LFA 217 as the former UFC heavyweight champion watched his teammate and friend, Gable Steveson, earn a dominant TKO win in his highly-anticipated mixed martial arts (MMA) debut.
Steveson, who is one of the most decorated U.S. wrestlers in recent memory, was a massive betting favorite in his first-ever pro fight. The Olympic gold medalist was matched up against a true heavyweight tomato can and was expected to deliver a finish sooner rather than later. Having Jones in his corner certainly helped Steveson’s efforts.
Steveson, 25, wasted no time securing a takedown early into the first round. From there, it was about 90 seconds of suffocating top game and ground-and-pound from the blue chip prospect that left his opponent, Braden Peterson, unable to continue. The referee eventually stepped in to hand Steveson his first knockout finish of his career.
Jones, who was cornering Steveson cageside, jumped up with joy after the fight was waved off. Check it out below:
Following Steveson’s victory, Jones was interviewed backstage and asked about the wrestler’s potential in MMA. Jones offered some high praise for Steveson and believes he has the “perfect formula” to make big strides in the sport. See it below:
“He has the perfect formula to go all the way to the top and then some,” said Jones.
