Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Gable Steveson suffered the third-fastest defeat in UFC heavyweight history when Sean Sharaf knocked him out in 12 seconds at UFC 331. Steveson had gone in as a -2400 favourite, with Sharaf a huge outsider, yet one heavy left hook was enough to leave the Olympian out cold. Steveson left the Octagon before the official result was announced, a move that drew a big reaction across the MMA world. Colby Covington said the Olympic champion needed to face reality and accept the defeat like a man.
Covington accused Jon Jones of spreading negative energy around Steveson, branding him a narcissistic, abusive sociopath. “Colby, I think your deep hatred is directed at the wrong Black guy. It was Usman who broke your face, not me,” Jones hit back on social media, a pointed reminder of Covington’s brutal defeat by Kamaru Usman at UFC 245. Covington responded by urging Steveson to leave Jones behind and move to Daniel Cormier’s training camp to rescue his career.
