Gable Steveson suffered one of the most unexpected defeats of UFC 331 when Sean Sharaf knocked him out just 12 seconds into their heavyweight clash. The result marked the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history and came as a massive shock, especially considering Steveson entered the bout as a -2400 favorite.
At 25, the Olympic gold medalist was expected to make serious waves in the heavyweight division. Many viewed him as a potential future champion, and his development under former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Greg Jackson only added to the excitement surrounding his arrival.
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However, Steveson’s devastating loss has sparked questions about his future and whether he needs a change of scenery. Veterans Matt Brown and Colby Covington suggested he should consider leaving Jones’ camp, while UFC commentator Jon Anik even questioned whether the young heavyweight would reach 10 fights in the promotion.
Now, nearly a month after Steveson’s crushing setback, Jones has finally addressed the situation and shared what his protege may need to change to come back stronger.
Jon Jones Identifies Sparring as Key to Gable Steveson’s Comeback After UFC 331 Loss
In a recent interview with The Schmo, Jones shared an encouraging update on Steveson and expressed his belief in the young heavyweight, both inside and outside the Octagon.
He said, “Gable’s doing great. Gable’s doing really, really awesome. I believe in Gable. I believe in the man and the person that he is. I’m excited for him to just clear things up moving forward in his life and his personal life.”
Jones went on to praise Steveson’s character, saying the Olympic gold medalist deserves every opportunity to succeed. He also highlighted the way Steveson treats his family and the people around him.
“And as far as the athlete that Gable is, he’s extraordinary. He’s absolutely extraordinary. He deserves good things. He does all the right things. He’s an awesome father and an awesome husband and a great son. I see the way that he treats the people around him, and he deserves success.”
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Addressing Steveson’s shocking defeat, Jones pointed to Georges St-Pierre’s loss to Matt Serra at UFC 69 in 2007 as an example of how even the greatest fighters can suffer unexpected setbacks.
GSP was stunned by Serra in one of MMA’s biggest upsets, but he bounced back to become a two-division champion and finish his career with a 26-2 record. He remains one of the sport’s all-time greats. Jones believes Steveson can learn from similar examples and move forward rather than dwell on the loss.
He said, “And if you think about it, all the great fighters have had knockouts and losses. I mean, (Georges St-Pierre) vs. Matt Serra – there’s just so many examples. He’s in the right headspace. He’s right back to training.”
Jones also identified an area where the team could make adjustments to help Steveson improve. According to the former UFC champion, getting more sparring time could be an important part of the heavyweight’s development.
“I feel like, as a team, we need to add a lot more sparring, and we have our little things that we can work on as a team, but he’s in great hands. He has great mentors and a great team around him, and we believe he is going to pull back in an amazing way.”
Steveson initially explored opportunities in the NFL and WWE before turning his attention to MMA. Neither venture worked out as hoped, but the former Olympic wrestling champion looked promising in his early fights, stopping his first three opponents by first-round TKO.
He carried that momentum into his UFC debut at UFC 329, where he knocked out Elisha Ellison, although he took a few shots along the way. His next appearance at UFC 331, however, ended in a brutal 12-second loss to Sean Sharaf.
With Jones backing him and the team already identifying areas to improve, it remains to be seen how Steveson responds to the first major setback of his MMA career.