Cormier Says He Has No Memory of Leaving Cage After 2017 Jones Loss
The short version
- Gable Steveson was knocked out by Sean Sharaf in 12 seconds at UFC 331, the third-fastest heavyweight KO.
- Steveson left the cage before the official result was announced, escorted by Jon Jones.
- Cormier criticized Steveson as an ungracious loser on the Paramount broadcast.
- Cormier said he has no memory of leaving the cage after his 2017 knockout loss to Jones at UFC 214.
Daniel Cormier responded to hypocrisy claims after criticizing Gable Steveson for exiting the cage following his UFC 331 knockout loss.
Daniel Cormier has addressed accusations of hypocrisy after he criticized Gable Steveson for leaving the cage immediately following his knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331. Steveson, a heavy favorite at -2400, was knocked out in 12 seconds, the third-fastest knockout in heavyweight history. Rather than staying for the result announcement, he exited toward the arena exit alongside Jon Jones.
Cormier had criticized Steveson on the Paramount broadcast, saying a fighter should stand and accept the loss and that Steveson's behavior was that of an ungracious loser. Jones, who said he was the one who escorted Steveson out of the cage, responded by sharing footage of Cormier leaving the Octagon after his own knockout loss to Jones at UFC 214 in 2017.
Cormier was eventually brought back by UFC management for the post-fight ceremony that night. In a social media post, he wrote that he remembered nothing from the moment the head kick landed until he reached the ambulance, and that footage from after the knockout still feels like he is seeing it for the first time nine years later.
The result of the 2017 fight was later overturned. Fans noted the irony of Cormier criticizing Steveson for conduct similar to his own after a devastating defeat.