Weidman: Steveson's corner should have kept him in cage after UFC 331 loss

Former champion Chris Weidman says Gable Steveson's cornermen should have stopped him from leaving the octagon before the official result was announced.

Gable Steveson suffered one of the most stunning upsets in UFC history on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, losing by knockout to Sean Sharaf just 12 seconds into their UFC 331 bout. Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist wrestler, now sits at 4-1 in MMA and 1-1 in the UFC, while Sharaf moved to 5-2 overall.

Steveson drew additional criticism for leaving the octagon before the result was official and before Sharaf's hand was raised. Speaking on "Deep Waters," former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman said the fighter's corner should have stepped in.

Weidman called the loss a humbling but valuable experience, adding that no fighter wants to remain in the cage after a defeat but that staying for the announcement is part of the sport. He compared it to making weight or standing on the wrestling mat until a match concludes.

Steveson's corner at the event included Greg Jackson, Jon Jones and a pad holder identified as Gibson. Weidman noted that Jones has never lost a fight, while the other cornermen know the expectations that come with a defeat. He argued that unless a doctor was removing Steveson, his team should have told him to return to the cage.

Jones later acknowledged it was his idea for Steveson to leave early, saying he wanted to make sure the fighter was OK.