‘Air-cleaning’ Jon Jones defends wounded rookie Gable Steveson after controversial UFC 331 cage exit — ‘He will be back’

Well, that explains it — but it certainly doesn’t make it look much better.

Jon Jones has taken responsibility for Gable Steveson‘s controversial decision to immediately leave the Octagon following his stunning knockout loss at UFC 331 this past weekend inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.

Steveson’s first professional defeat was already humiliating for the former Olympic gold medalist, but he made matters worse by storming out of the cage before the official result was announced. There was no sportsmanship, no acknowledgment of his opponent, and no sticking around to face the music after getting knocked out.

It was an absolutely terrible look.

The embarrassing exit triggered another wave of backlash online, with fans blasting Steveson for behaving like a sore loser instead of accepting his defeat. For someone attempting to reinvent himself as a future UFC Heavyweight champion, ditching the Octagon the moment things went wrong was hardly a championship-level response.

According to Jones, however, Steveson wasn’t the one who made the call.

“I’ve seen some reports online, and I really wanted to clear the air,” Jones wrote. “It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight. 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 okay.”

“Gable’s work ethic and will to win is there, and I stand by him and believe he will go on to be one of the best Heavyweights in the UFC,” Jones continued. “He will be back. I’m sure of it.”

Jones deserves some credit for stepping forward and attempting to absorb the blame. His concern for Steveson’s health after such a violent knockout is also understandable, particularly after watching his friend suffer the first crushing setback of his young mixed martial arts (MMA) career.

Still, someone in Steveson’s corner should have realized how awful the exit would look. Unless there was an immediate medical emergency — and Jones did not indicate there was — remaining inside the cage for another minute would not have been too much to ask.

Steveson entered UFC with enormous expectations because of his elite wrestling credentials, athletic ability and association with Jones. One bad night does not erase his potential, but his behavior after the loss only intensified the criticism surrounding him.

Jones remains convinced that Steveson will recover and eventually become one of UFC’s best Heavyweights. Perhaps he will.

Before Steveson can become a champion, though, he may first need to learn how to lose like one.

For complete UFC 331 results, coverage and highlights click ‘Air-cleaning’ Jon Jones defends wounded rookie.