Jon Jones has stayed at the very peak of mixed martial arts for quite some time now. Being the heavyweight champion, he received numerous challenges from his fellow fighters. However, it was Stipe Miocic, who got lucky and the duo got a fight scheduled for UFC 295. But a torn pectoral muscle forced the MMA promotion to push the fight for UFC 309, on November 17, 2024. As the date for the bout inched closer, Jones increased his focus on training and has been releasing a few visuals on social media. One such visual of him training with the American professional wrestler, Gable Steveson, created quite an uproar in the MMA realm. 

Jones took to Instagram and posted a video that showed him sparring with the wrestling icon. There were 3 videos and the first one showed Steveson lifting the heavyweight champion up high, after a failed single-leg takedown. In the second clip, Jones sent forth a few light fists before grabbing Steveson’s right leg. But the wrestling coach slipped out. 

However, Jones had his instincts kick in and he almost knocked his training partner for the day out with a flying knee. Being playful in training, the duo simply laughed it off. The third footage showed Jones and Steveson practicing takedowns after getting a body kick, and then moving on to side control. No doubt, both Steveson and ‘Bones’ enjoyed their time together. The UFC double champion captioned the post, “Training with the best” and tagged the wrestler. 

As soon as the videos were out on social media, the fighting community took over the comments section to reveal their thoughts. Let’s see what the fight fans had to say about Jon Jones’ new training video.

Jon Jones almost sends Gable Steveson to dream realm leaving the fight fans in awe

Needless to say, the video greatly impressed the fight fans. But some of the netizens decided to drag Tom Aspinall into the conversation. The interim heavyweight champion has been wanting a fight against ‘Bones’ for quite some time now. However, some fans deemed the ‘Honey Badger’ lucky to have escaped Jones’ explosive strikes. One of the comments read, “Jones looking fast and explosive, Tom should be glad the UFC wants to do Jones Vs Stipe because I can see Jon giving him real problems.”

Getting almost knocked out by Jones’ flying knee was, of course, the one instance that garnered the maximum attention. A few fans claimed that it was nothing but a “Hazard of sparring the goat.” Meanwhile, some others believed “That knee came out of instinct.” But one thing was certain, as a fan commented, “The knee is called fight IQ!”

Nevertheless, the heavyweight champion never let his knee do the damage it would have done inside the Octagon. And the fighting community knew it pretty well. While many fans commended the knee, one comment read, “He pulled it before impact, that was nowhere near a knockout.”

As the post continued to make circles on the internet, the fans began putting Jones on the pedestal of the greatest of all time. One fan wrote, “The GOAT getting ready.” On the other hand, a few others commended  Jones’ move. A comment read, “Bones has nothing left to prove yet he’s still here proving himself.”

However, the anxiety regarding the champion’s retirement sent the fighting community into a land of worry. After all, Jones is nearing his 40s and soon, his body won’t work like it once used to. With such conditions and age, it is pretty natural for a fighter to opt for retirement after fighting Stipe Miocic. But one of the fans pleaded, “Please don’t retire after the Stipe fight.” Nevertheless, the video worked wonders and one fan got motivated to work out. “I can feel myself getting hyped to go training just watching this. Great video!”

What are your thoughts on the almost KO? Do you think Jones would deploy the same move against Miocic? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.