Jon Jones Explains Why Gable Steveson Left The Octagon

Jon Jones says it was his call, not Gable Steveson's, to leave the Octagon immediately after Steveson's first professional loss at UFC 331.

"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," Jones

Steveson (4-1), a heavy -2500 favorite, was knocked out by Sean Sharaf (5-2) just 12 seconds into their heavyweight bout, ending a run of four straight first-round finishes. Jones, who cornered Steveson, also expressed confidence in his recovery, saying he can still become "one of the best heavyweights in the UFC."

Steveson, a 2021 Olympic wrestling gold medalist, transitioned to MMA in 2025 and has trained under Jones since joining his camp ahead of Jones' 2024 fight with Stipe Miocic.