Jon Jones Issues Statement After Gable Steveson Leaves Octagon Following KO Loss

Jon Jones has explained why Gable Steveson (4-1) left the Octagon immediately after suffering his first professional MMA defeat at UFC 331 on September 19.

Steveson, who was a massive -2500 favorite hiding into his second Octagon appearance, was knocked out by Sean Sharaf (5-2) just 12 seconds into their heavyweight fight in Los Angeles. Sharaf caught the Olympic gold medalist with a left hand during the opening exchange before following up on the ground, handing Steveson his first defeat after four consecutive first-round finishes.

Steveson left the Octagon before Sharaf was officially announced as the winner, prompting online speculation about his reaction. Jones, a former two-division UFC champion who was in Steveson’s corner, said Wednesday he wanted to “clear the air” and confirmed the decision to leave was his.

“It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight,” Jones said. “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.”

Jones also backed Steveson to recover from the loss, saying the 26-year-old can still become “one of the best heavyweights in the UFC.”

Steveson won a wrestling gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 before transitioning to MMA in 2025. He previously joined Jones’s training camp, as the former UFC champion prepared to fight Stipe Miocic in November 2024. Jones has continued to mentor and coach Steveson throughout his early MMA career.