Gable Steveson’s UFC 331 heavyweight bout lasted just 12 seconds, but the controversy surrounding his loss continued even after the fight. The Olympic gold medalist immediately left the Octagon before Bruce Buffer could officially announce the result, leading some fans to question why he didn’t stick around for the final call. However, there was an important detail they were missing.
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Steveson didn’t make that decision himself. Jon Jones, who was in his teammate’s corner that night, has now revealed that he was the one who pulled the 26-year-old out of the Octagon and took him backstage after the knockout.
“I’ve seen some reports online, and I really wanted to clear the air,” Jones wrote on X. “It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight.
“Honestly, it was the first time in this situation for me, and my instant reaction was to get my friend to the back to make sure he was ok.”
So, according to Jones, there was no walk-off drama. After seeing his teammate knocked out, his priority was simply getting Steveson backstage and making sure he was okay.
The reaction is understandable given how quickly the fight ended. Footage from Gable Steveson’s corner showed Jones visibly shocked after Sean Sharaf first landed a sharp right hand before following with a left hook that caught Steveson flush on the chin.
Steveson was out almost instantly, with ‘The Smoke’ securing the stoppage just 12 seconds into the fight. With his teammate clearly stunned after the knockout, Jones’ decision to take him backstage came before the official announcement.
It wasn’t the first time a teammate had reacted that way after watching a close friend suffer a brutal loss.
I’ve seen some reports on line and I really wanted to clear the air. It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight. Honestly it was the first time in this situation for me and my instant reaction was to get my friend to the back to make sure he was ok. Show more
At UFC Shanghai, Usman Nurmagomedov immediately jumped into the cage after watching his brother and teammate, Umar Nurmagomedov, get stopped by Song Yadong.
Jones also made it clear that he hasn’t lost faith in Steveson despite the brutal setback.
“Gable’s work ethic and will to win is there and I stand by him and believe he will go on to be one of the best heavyweights in the UFC,” he added. “He will be back; I’m sure of it.”
Steveson entered UFC 331 with plenty of momentum after winning his first four professional MMA fights, including his UFC debut against Elisha Ellison in July at UFC 329. But his second trip to the Octagon ended almost as soon as it began.
Sharaf’s 12-second finish also put him among the fastest heavyweight knockouts in UFC history. Todd Duffee holds the division record with a seven-second stoppage, followed by Jairzinho Rozenstruik at nine seconds. Sharaf’s finish now sits alongside Walt Harris at 12 seconds, while Anthony Hamilton is just behind at 14.
For Gable Steveson, the loss marks the first defeat of his professional MMA career. But while Jones remains firmly in his corner, not everyone believes the Olympic gold medalist should continue down the same path.
Colby Covington has advice for Gable Steveson, and it starts with firing Jon Jones
Steveson was already carrying plenty of expectations before entering the UFC. The former collegiate wrestling standout and Olympic gold medalist arrived in MMA with a perfect 4-0 professional record, making his transition to the Octagon one of the more closely watched heavyweight stories.
Sharaf, however, brought those expectations crashing down in just 12 seconds. ‘The Smoke’ entered the matchup with a 5-2 record and had already lost his previous two UFC fights before producing the biggest win of his career.
For Colby Covington, however, the result wasn’t entirely surprising. The former interim welterweight champion believes Steveson may have become too confident and started moving away from the qualities that made him successful in wrestling.
“You know, he was over-hyping himself, overlooking other competitors, and he just thought he was invincible,” Covington told Submission Radio after UFC 331. “When you get away from what brought you to the dance, that’s never going to be good for you.”
The former interim welterweight champion then turned his attention to the man standing in Gable Steveson’s corner: Jon Jones. ‘Chaos’ clearly wasn’t holding back when discussing the former UFC heavyweight champion’s influence on the 26-year-old.
“Jon Jones is bad energy. That guy’s a demon, man,” he continued.
Colby Covington believes Steveson needs to hit the reset button, starting with the people around him. In his view, a change of environment and a stronger team could help the Olympian get his nascent MMA career back on track.
“You’ve got to surround yourself in this life with good people that are like-minded, that work hard, that have faith in God, and aren’t just freaking piece of s—, people like Jon Jones,” he stated. “So, he should definitely cut Jon Jones, get to a new camp, get focused, start believing, and start using his wrestling.”
For now, Gable Steveson has to go back to the drawing board after suffering the first loss of his professional MMA career. Whether he takes Colby Covington’s advice or sticks with the team that has backed him so far remains to be seen.
One thing is clear, though: After a brutal 12-second public humiliation at UFC 331, the Olympian has plenty to prove when he finally steps back into the Octagon.