Jones Says Call to Exit Early After Steveson Loss Was His

The former two-division champion said he wanted to get his training partner to the locker room after the 12-second knockout at UFC 331.

Sean Sharaf needed just 12 seconds to knock out Gable Steveson at UFC 331 on Saturday in Los Angeles, stunning a crowd that watched one of the sport's biggest underdogs win. The defeat was the first of Steveson's career, which began with major hype given his Olympic wrestling gold medal.

Before the result could be read, Steveson and Jones, who have trained together, headed backstage from the cage and ringside area. Jones, 39, addressed the moment on social media, saying the choice to take Steveson straight to the back was his own, since it was the first time he had been in that situation and his immediate instinct was to check on his friend's wellbeing.

Jones added that Steveson's drive remains strong and predicted the 26-year-old will develop into one of the top heavyweights in the UFC.

Steveson entered the bout 4-0, with every victory coming by first-round knockout, though questions about his polish remained. Sharaf, a former US marine, said afterward that he noticed Steveson leaving but understood the moment, having once been undefeated before suffering his own first UFC loss. He said a setback forces fighters to improve and that no opponent should be taken lightly.

Sharaf also described his approach as treating the fight like any other and refusing to place his opponent on a pedestal, saying he was grateful for the win and the moment.