‘That’s the guy’ – Joe Rogan names 250lbs Olympic gold medallist not in UFC as biggest threat to Tom Aspinall

Joe Rogan is sure that Gable Steveson will be the next guy to conquer the UFC heavyweight division.

Steveson, who trains with UFC great Jon Jones, has taken the MMA world by storm in 2025, finishing his first two professional bouts in an emphatic style.

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He also scored a perfect 15-second KO in Mike Perry‘s Dirty Boxing promotion, flattening Billy Swanson with a nasty right hand.

The 25-year-old 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medallist has been touted for massive things in the sport.

Former two-division UFC champion Jones has already said Steveson can become heavyweight king in Dana White‘s promotion, and Rogan certainly agrees.

”The heavyweight division is so devoid of talent,” UFC commentator Rogan explained on his podcast.

Tom Aspinall is the current UFC heavyweight champion, but outside of a few top-ranked contenders, such as Ciryl Gane and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, the promotion’s largest division lacks a diverse array of talent.

Rogan believes Steveson is the man to fix that.

Son of a gun

“Gable Steveson is the f****** guy,” the 58-year-old added.

“That’s the guy — he’s not even in the UFC yet. Olympic gold medalist, freak athlete, 250 pounds, moves like a cat. That’s the guy.

“I sent a text message to Dana White. I sent him a video of Gable’s last fight. I said, ‘Everyone’s f*****, everyone’s f***** when this guy comes out.’”

Steveson knocked out Kevin Hein inside 30 seconds under the banner of Anthony Pettis’ APFC promotion in his last fight.

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The KO was so rapid that Steveson managed to grab a hold of his opponent and drag him to the canvas while he was unconscious.

“He KO’d this guy with a left hand and then took him down as he was knocked out,” Rogan said, rewatching the brutal KO.

“It’s so f****** crazy. The speed that this guy has. First of all, [Steveson has] really good striking already, and he’s only been striking for like a year.

“That kind of speed is nuts for a heavyweight… He’s a real freak.

“He’s maybe even better [than Daniel Cormier]. And bigger, a lot bigger.

“He’s a freak, and he’s training with Jon Jones and some of the best fighters.

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“He’s trying to fight every month to get as much experience as he can before he gets into the UFC.

“He’s coming, and everybody’s in trouble… there’s no one, other than Jon, who can wrestle with that guy in that sport.”

Rogan highlighted that Steveson’s ‘insane wrestling pedigree’ mixed with his ability to strike as he does would cause big trouble for UFC heavyweights.

Steveson’s opponents, according to Rogan, will be purely focused on takedowns against the 6’1″ heavyweight, which, as we’ve seen so far, leaves them exposed to being stopped by strikes.

“The speed that guy has,” Rogan concluded.

“It’s like a lethal combination of athleticism, speed, power, size, and an insane wrestling pedigree.”

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Steveson is likely to continue fighting across various promotions in 2026 to gain more experience.

However, there’s no doubt White has a close eye on Steveson, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the UFC CEO offered the American a contract in his promotion soon.