Jon Jones made the call to take Gable Steveson to the back after his 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331.
The former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion addressed criticism of Steveson not sticking around for the result of his loss to Sean Sharaf to be read in the Octagon.
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. 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 will be back I’m sure of it.
Criticism of Steveson not sticking around for the announcement included comments by Daniel Cormier on the UFC 331 broadcast.
Daniel Cormier commented on Gable Steveson leaving the Octagon before the hand raise:
“You let that man get his hand raised, and you stand there no matter how you feel… You cannot be a great winner, but then an ungrateful loser.”
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Steveson’s second fight in the UFC saw the Olympic gold medalist enter as a -2400 favorite against Sharaf. The 4-2 heavyweight immediately landed a left hook that put Steveson out cold and provided one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.
The win by Sharaf capped off a contentious fight week where he called out Steveson’s 2019 sexual assault case at the UFC 331 press conference.
Sharaf was awarded a $50,000 bonus for the win, which was matched by Dana White for $100,000 total.
It was the first loss of Steveson’s MMA career as he drops to 4-1.
