Jon Jones Accepts Blame for Controversial Gable Steveson Moment After UFC 331 Upset

Do you think "Bones" made the right call?

USA TODAY Sports

Future UFC Hall of Famer Jon Jones has provided an explanation for one of the most talked about moments from last weekend’s UFC 331 card.

Taking place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, UFC 331 closed out with a highly-anticipated flyweight title bout that saw Joshua Van pick up his second win over former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja after their first meeting ended via 26-second injury TKO.

The co-main event also saw Arman Tsarukyan make his case for a long-awaited title shot when he brutally knocked out Mauricio Ruffy, but perhaps the most significant moment of the night came several fights earlier.

Gable Steveson Suffered Stunning Upset Loss at UFC 331

After Brian Ortega withdrew from a scheduled rematch with Renato Moicano, the UFC promoted a heavyweight but between Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf to the UFC 331 main card.

Gable Steveson during weigh ins for UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The move didn’t come as much of a surprise given the considerable hype around Steveson, who won an Olympic gold medal and two NCAA Division 1 national championships before making the jump to MMA last year.

Gable Steveson (red gloves) fights Elisha Ellison (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 26-year-old made short work of his first three MMA opponents before he was signed by the UFC, and at UFC 329 he scored his fourth first-round finish out of as many fights when he stopped Elisha Ellison just over halfway through the opening round.

Jon Jones Explains Gable Steveson's Swift Octagon Exit

Steveson was a colossal favorite to secure his second UFC victory in Los Angeles, but Sharaf ended up authoring one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history when he knocked the Olympic gold medalist out in just 12 seconds.

Sean Sharaf (blue gloves) fights Gable Steveson (red gloves) during UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A swift exit from the Octagon before Sharaf was formally declared the winner generated some considerable criticism for Steveson, but this week Jones revealed that he was the one that encouraged his protégé to head straight for the locker room.

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.…

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) September 21, 2026

“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.”

How Will Gable Steveson Rebound From First MMA Loss?

Jones had only been fighting for less than a year and had 5-0 record when he made his UFC debut in 2008, but the 39-year-old was competing in a very different era of the sport when he went on to become the youngest champion in UFC history.

Jon Jones (red gloves) celebrates defeating Stipe Miocoic (blue gloves) in the heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

He’s far from the first fighter with a decorated athletic background to make the jump to MMA, but Steveson’s wrestling credentials and expedited path to the UFC made him arguably the most highly-touted prospect in the sport’s history.

Gable Stevenson celebrates with Jon Jones after defeating Billy Swanson in a Dirty Boxing Championship heavyweight fight. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In terms of betting odds, combat sports fans were actually treated to an even larger upset than Steveson’s just last month, as Bella Mir dropped a unanimous decision to Alex Apodaca on Dana White’s Contender Series after coming into the fight at around a -4000 favorite.