Colby Covington, like many others in the MMA world, believes that Gable Steveson should distance himself from his mentor and friend Jon Jones following the events at UFC 331. Last month, Steveson suffered a shocking 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf, marking his first defeat in MMA and casting doubt on his previously high potential, as significant weaknesses in his technique were revealed.
Steveson also received heavy criticism from fans after Sharaf called out his controversial history. His decision to leave the octagon before the winner was officially declared drew even more backlash, with many insisting he should have remained and accepted the defeat graciously.
On The Ariel Helwani Show, Colby Covington expressed that despite Jon Jones being a phenomenal fighter with a storied UFC career, he is not a proven coach. Covington urged Steveson to break ties with Jones, describing him as a “bad-energy demon” who is negatively impacting Steveson. Covington stated:
“I think a lot of bad energy comes onto him from Jon Jones. Gable thinks it’s cool, ‘Oh, I’m hanging out with one of the greatest fighters of all time. Oh yeah, I’m so cool.’ But really, he’s just killing himself, bro… You’re now taking energy from a guy that’s a literal demon… He just doesn’t realize that the biggest thing holding him back is his corner man, Jon Jones.
He may have been a great fighter and done some great things in the UFC, but he’s not a good coach… You need good energy around you, you need good people, and you need good coaches. He’s not a good coach. He’s not a proven coach.” [h/t: Ariel Helwani]
Watch Colby Covington’s full remarks below:
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Fan Take: This situation highlights how crucial the right mentorship and cornering are for a fighter’s success. If Steveson heeds Covington’s advice and changes his camp, it could dramatically alter his career trajectory and impact the way fighters select their coaching teams moving forward.
Source: www.lowkickmma.com
