Jon Jones says it was his own decision to get Gable Steveson out of the Octagon and back to the locker room immediately after Steveson’s stunning 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331, rather than have him remain for the official decision.
Steveson, the WWE signee and Olympic gold medalist, was knocked out by a left hand from Sean Sharaf just 12 seconds into the bout. Rather than stay in the cage while the result was announced, Steveson left for the back, with Jones, his friend and cornerman, taking responsibility for that choice.
According to Fightful and POST Wrestling, Jones stated on social media that it was his call to take Steveson straight to the back following the fight, taking ownership of the decision rather than leaving it attributed to Steveson himself.
The sources do not provide further detail on Steveson’s condition following the knockout or any statement from Steveson himself, and no further comment from Steveson has been reported at this time.
