TLDR
- Gable Steveson was knocked out in 12 seconds by Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 with a left hook
- Steveson was training under Jon Jones, who was coaching him for the fight
- Colby Covington blamed Jones for Steveson abandoning his wrestling background
- Covington called Jones ‘bad energy’ and advised Steveson to switch camps
- Steveson has now lost two straight fights by knockout and fled the cage after the loss
Sources: yardbarker.com | sports.yahoo.com | sports.yahoo.com
Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson was knocked out in just 12 seconds at UFC 331, sparking criticism of his coach Jon Jones from welterweight fighter Colby Covington.
Sean Sharaf caught Steveson with a left hook in the opening exchange of their heavyweight bout. The former wrestler left the cage with Jones as the crowd booed, according to reports from MMA Mania.
Covington Says Jones Led Steveson Away From Wrestling
Covington spoke to Submission Radio about the loss and said he saw it coming. He argued that Steveson stopped using the grappling skills that made him an Olympic champion.
“You don’t see him try to wrestle in any fights, he’s just going straight into striking,” Covington told MMA Junkie. “When you get away from what brought you to the dance, that’s never going to be good for you.”
The former welterweight title challenger placed the blame directly on Jones. He called Jones a negative presence in Steveson’s training camp.
Daniel Cormier to Gable Steveson:
"You let that man get his hand raised, and you stand there no matter how you feel. You can't be a great winner and then an ungrateful loser."
Meanwhile, DC: ðŸ˜#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/CupGVLVJa6
— Combat Wire (@CombatWireMMA) September 21, 2026
“Jon Jones is bad energy,” Covington said. “That guy is a demon, man. We’ve seen the long laundry list of bad things he’s done to women, to people, to cops, to drug testers.”
Covington described Jones as a harmful influence. He advised Steveson to leave Jones’s camp completely and find new coaches.
The loss marks Steveson’s second straight knockout defeat in the UFC. This was Jones’s first public appearance as a coach for another fighter.
Steveson’s History of Walking Away
Steveson won Olympic gold in wrestling before trying to transition to MMA. He also previously attempted careers in both WWE and the NFL but left both pursuits.
It remains unclear whether Steveson will continue fighting after this latest setback. His pattern of abandoning new ventures has raised questions about his commitment to mixed martial arts.
Sharaf pulled off a major upset as a heavy underdog in the fight. According to TMZ Sports, Sharaf said Steveson overlooked him before the bout.
Jones has not publicly responded to Covington’s criticism. He watched from cageside as his student suffered one of the quickest knockouts in recent UFC history.
The 12-second finish was one of the fastest knockouts at heavyweight in UFC history. Steveson never had a chance to use any of his elite wrestling skills.
Covington’s comments reflect ongoing tension between him and Jones in the MMA community. The two fighters have exchanged verbal jabs in the past.
If Steveson does return to fighting, many observers believe he needs to rely more on his wrestling base. His two UFC losses have both come by knockout while standing and trading punches.
Steveson’s Olympic credentials made him one of the most hyped prospects in recent UFC history. The quick loss to Sharaf has damaged that reputation considerably.
Jones took blame for a controversial move by Steveson at UFC 331, according to Yahoo Sports. The specific details of that incident were not fully detailed in available reports.
