Gable Steveson

Date: 2026-01-01 | Duration: 2h 21m

Episode Overview

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson — named after legendary Iowa coach Dan Gable — joins the MMA Show for a conversation spanning wrestling, UFC, and combat sports culture. Steveson reflects on the weight of carrying Dan Gable's name and how it shaped his drive from childhood. Much of the episode is devoted to deep analysis of Jon Jones: gutting out the Gustafsson decision on fumes, showing up shark-baited for five brutal rounds while sick the week before fighting Stipe Miocic, and the preternatural toughness that made Jones nearly unstoppable. Hamzat Chimaev's obsessive training approach also gets extensive discussion — training through COVID while vomiting blood, and how Sam Calavita was eventually brought in to manage his tendency to overtrain. Steveson traces his own Iowa-style wrestling roots, where the coaching philosophy was brutally physical. The conversation covers the evolution of UFC production values, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season events transforming fighters into international stars, the importance of personality and fan relatability in the modern fight game, and a tangent about Tom Brady reportedly cloning his dog.

About Gable Steveson

Gable Steveson is a dynamic mixed martial artist and wrestler who captured the world’s attention with his remarkable athletic prowess and dedication to his craft. As an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo 2020 Games, he not only clinched gold but did so in dramatic fashion, solidifying his status as one of the sport's brightest stars. Known for his charismatic personality and relentless work ethic, Gable is also making waves in boxing and professional wrestling, showcasing his versatility and commitment to excellence across multiple combat sports. His journey from a small-town athlete to Olympic champion has inspired many, making him a compelling figure in the world of sports and beyond.

Key Moments

– Gable Steveson's Olympic wrestling gold medal and the Dan Gable legacy
– Jon Jones — Gustafsson decision and training before the Stipe fight
– Hamzat Chimaev training through COVID while vomiting blood
– Sam Calavita brought in to manage Chimaev's overtraining
– Iowa-style wrestling philosophy — brutal and physical
– Riyadh Season elevating fighters to international star status
– UFC evolution from the early 1990s to the modern era
– Fighter personality and fan relatability in the modern fight game
0:00:00 – Introduction — being named after Dan Gable and winning Olympic wrestling gold
0:21:25 – Jon Jones gutting out the Gustafsson decision when already exhausted
0:31:11 – Jones doing five brutal shark-baited rounds while sick the week before fighting Stipe
0:40:52 – Hamzat Chimaev training through COVID while vomiting blood; Sam Calavita brought in
0:50:11 – Bull riding analogy — everyone goes flying eventually, no one rides forever
0:58:39 – WWE comparisons; John Cena and Roman Reigns as examples of self-made personas
1:09:24 – Iowa wrestling philosophy — run his face into the wall if you have to
1:18:46 – Riyadh Season elevating fighters to star status on the world stage
1:31:05 – UFC evolution — Keith Hackney vs Emmanuel Yarbrough in 1993 versus Jon Jones in 2025
1:42:57 – Why fighters need to show personality and let fans relate to them
1:55:32 – Tom Brady cloning his dog — pet cemetery territory

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 Joe Rogan podcast, check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience. Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. All right. What's happening? Pleasure to meet you, man. How are you? Great. Starting point is 00:00:16 I'm great. When you got a name like Gable and you're named after Dan Gable and you go on to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling. That is kind of, it's crazy. It's kind of prophetic. My mom, when I was young, she was trying to find names for me. and she liked Kail Sanderson because Kail was a guy at the time but she was at a tournament in Iowa Starting point is 00:00:33 with my older brother and she kept hearing Gable Gable and it was Dan Gable at the time and you know Dan Gable was a huge figure in the Midwest for wrestling and so she was like why don't I name you Gable Dan and the rest was history Starting point is 00:00:45 which is really crazy because his whole timeline is my timeline which is fantastic except the MMA part that too which I wish you would have done I think he would have been amazing Starting point is 00:00:55 I think he would have been amazing but it wasn't around I mean when he was wrestling Baranaco, maybe. I don't know, do it on a street or something. He could have found a way. It's kind of fucked that there's no real professional outlet for actual wrestling. It is fucked. Starting point is 00:01:11 And wrestling needs a real way to go out there and be something big. And I think they have a really good one now with R.A.F. If you haven't heard about it. Yes, I have. It's American freestyle. They're trying. And I think they're trying really well. And I think it's going to come to a point where how do you make matchups continue? Starting point is 00:01:28 because, you know, wrestling gets to the point where, and fighting in a lot of the sports, you can get to the point where, you know, maybe you draft a guy and fighting, there's a next big thing. There's the next guy out there that you can kind of create. A...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #10172?

Gable Steveson was the guest on JRE #10172. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #10172?

On Joe Rogan Experience #10172 with Gable Steveson, topics include Gable Steveson's Olympic wrestling gold medal and the Dan, Jon Jones — Gustafsson decision and training before the, Hamzat Chimaev training through COVID while vomiting blood, and Sam Calavita brought in to manage Chimaev's overtraining.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #10172?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #10172 with Gable Steveson is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.