Jon Jones is accepting responsibility for Gable Steveson’s premature departure following his loss at UFC 331.
Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and highly regarded heavyweight prospect, shockingly lost by knockout in just 12 seconds to Sean Sharaf, a relatively unknown fighter who entered the event as a historic betting underdog with no recent wins. Until then, many considered Steveson the most promising heavyweight talent to emerge in recent MMA history, making his swift defeat the largest betting upset in UFC history on Draft Kings.
Right after the fight, Steveson left the cage and hurried to the locker room at Crypto.com Arena before the official announcement of the result, a move that drew widespread criticism from fans and fellow fighters. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier criticized Steveson on the post-fight broadcast, calling him an “ungrateful loser.”
On Monday, Jon Jones, a former two-division UFC champion and one of Steveson’s key mentors and coaches during his rise, accepted blame for Steveson’s early exit from the cage. Posting on X, Jones explained that it was his decision “to take Gable straight to the back after the fight.”
Jones stated, “I’ve seen some reports online, and I really wanted to clear the air. It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight. Honestly, this was the first time in this kind of situation for me, and my immediate reaction was to get my friend out of sight to check on his condition. Gable’s work ethic and determination are strong, and I stand by him—I believe he’ll become one of the UFC’s top heavyweights. He will come back—I’m sure of it.”
The admiration for Steveson seemed well-deserved before Saturday’s unexpected loss. At 26, he was one of the most decorated amateur wrestlers of his generation, a two-time NCAA Division I national champion and two-time recipient of the Dan Hodge Trophy—an award for the nation’s best collegiate freestyle wrestler. He also made history at the 2020 Olympics, capturing gold at only 21 years old as the youngest wrestler in his division to do so.
Coming into his second UFC fight, Steveson boasted a 5-0 professional record, including five first-round knockouts across different combat sports, capped by a dominant two-minute victory over Elisha Ellison in his UFC debut last July.
Although Steveson has yet to publicly address his brief knockout loss, UFC president Dana White downplayed criticism of his post-fight behavior.
White remarked at the post-fight press conference, “When you’re in that position, obviously, he had huge expectations on himself—and sometimes things happen. Forrest Griffin actually ran out of the Octagon when he won a fight against Tito Ortiz in 2012. These things occur.”
Fan Take: This situation highlights the immense pressure young fighters like Steveson face when transitioning to the UFC’s biggest stage. How veterans like Jones manage and support these prospects will be crucial for nurturing the next wave of heavyweight stars, shaping the sport’s future landscape.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
