Jon Jones Delivers Message to Gable Steveson Ahead of UFC 331 Sean Sharaf Clash

<p>Jon Jones recently reached out with an encouraging message for his protégé, Gable Steveson, as Steveson prepares for his second fight in the UFC.</p>

<p>This weekend at UFC 331, Steveson will face off against the 33-year-old Sean Sharaf, who has yet to notch a win in the UFC with an 0-2 record.</p>

<p>During the pre-fight press conference held last night, Steveson, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, was met with boos from the crowd and faced sharp criticism from his opponent. Sharaf referenced past sexual assault allegations against Steveson and stated:</p>

<blockquote>
    <p>“I don’t dislike the guy. Nobody likes a r*pist. This guy r*ped a woman in 2019, and that’s why everyone is booing him. You can’t do that sh*t, it’s wrong.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p><em>Watch Sean Sharaf’s remarks about Gable Steveson below:</em></p>

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    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sean Sharaf to Gable Steveson at the UFC 331 press conference 😬</p><p>"Nobody likes a r*pist. This guy r*ped a woman in 2019, and that's why everyone is booing him. You can't do that sh*t, it's wrong."</p><p>"Okay, loophole." <a href="https://t.co/PQcUDBZL07">pic.twitter.com/PQcUDBZL07</a></p>— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 18, 2026</blockquote>
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<p>Just three hours ago, Steveson shared several training photos on Instagram, tagging Jon Jones — his coach, friend, and mentor — in one of them. Before the comment section was closed, Jones left words of support:</p>

<blockquote>
    <p>“Trust in your training, you’re doing amazing right now. Excited to watch you dominate.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p><em>See Jon Jones’ comment along with Steveson’s post here:</em></p>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="972" height="175" alt="Jon Jones' comment" class="wp-image-656806 perfmatters-lazy" style="aspect-ratio:5.55;width:778px;height:auto" src="https://cdn.lowkickmma.com/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-19-at-3.41.35-AM.png" /></figure>

<p>Following a first-round knockout win in his UFC debut at UFC 329, Steveson aims to secure another swift victory against Sean Sharaf this weekend at UFC 331, looking to push his perfect MMA record to 5-0.</p>

<p><em>Below are Gable Steveson’s comments on his upcoming fight:</em></p>

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<p>The 26-year-old heavyweight knockout specialist, known for his four first-round finishes and his desire to stay active, confidently declared during the press conference his plan to compete for the UFC heavyweight title in 2027:</p>

<blockquote>
    <p>“[Next year] I will fight for the UFC heavyweight championship.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p><em>Watch Gable Steveson’s full remarks below:</em></p>

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