Greg Jackson calls Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson the most talented athlete he has ever coached

Greg Jackson, one of MMA’s most decorated coaches, has declared that Olympic heavyweight wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson possesses athletic ability he has never seen in more than two decades of coaching, as the 26-year-old prepares to make his UFC debut at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11.

Steveson, who claimed Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in August 2021, turned professional in MMA last year under the mentorship of Jon Jones and arrives at the Octagon with a perfect 3-0 record, having finished every opponent in the first round. He will face Elisha Ellison at T-Mobile Arena in what is expected to be one of the most anticipated heavyweight debuts in recent memory.

Jackson, whose coaching résumé includes Georges St-Pierre, Rashad Evans, Holly Holm, and Jones himself, was unequivocal in his assessment. “I’ve worked with most of the greatest fighters to ever do this game, and his athletic ability is unprecedented,” Jackson said in the UFC 329 ‘Embedded’ video series. “The way he thinks about things, how smart he is, how coachable — you need to tune in now to see where the ceiling for this guy is. He might be redefining what this sport is.”

Jackson also reflected on the sheer difficulty of what Steveson has already achieved on the mat. “He already won the Olympic gold medal at heavyweight in wrestling. That is so hard to do, I can’t even tell you. Where is the ceiling? What can he accomplish? What can he do?”

The praise carries particular weight given the calibre of fighters Jackson has guided throughout his career. St-Pierre is widely regarded as one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history, while Holm famously upset Ronda Rousey for the bantamweight title in 2015. For Jackson to single out Steveson above all of them is a statement that will sharpen expectations considerably heading into UFC 329.

Steveson’s wrestling pedigree is undeniable, but transitioning elite grappling credentials into sustained UFC success is a path that has humbled many highly touted prospects before him. His three professional finishes suggest the tools are there; July 11 will offer the first real measure of how quickly he can translate them at the sport’s highest level.