Jon Jones accepted responsibility Monday for Gable Steveson leaving the Octagon immediately after his knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The former Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA champion suffered a stunning 12-second defeat — the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history — at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday. Steveson, considered one of MMA's biggest prospects, exited without addressing the crowd or media, drawing criticism from UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, who called it "ungrateful."

Jones, Steveson's mentor, posted on X that he directed his fighter to the back. "It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight," Jones wrote. "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." He defended Steveson's work ethic and predicted a return.

Sharaf (4-2), previously 0-2 in the UFC, landed a left hook that ended the main card bout abruptly. The upset marked Steveson's first professional loss, dropping him to 4-1.