Covington Urges Steveson to Drop Jones After 12-Second KO

The arena lights dimmed on a twelve-second ending. Sean Sharaf’s left hook found Gable Steveson in the first exchange, snapping the Olympic gold medalist down to the canvas. The crowd erupted, not in applause, but in a wave of boos that followed the two men as they fled the octagon. Steveson’s career in the UFC had ended before the first minute was even complete.

Retired welterweight Colby Covington watched the blowout with little surprise. He sees the defeat not as a fluke, but as the inevitable result of a fighter abandoning his core identity. For Covington, the solution is clear and harsh: Steveson must cut his association with coach Jon Jones and return to the wrestling roots that built him.

The cost of abandoning wrestling

Covington argues that Steveson fell in love with striking and forgot the foundation of his success. “When you get away from what brought you to the dance, that’s never going to be good for you,” he told Submission Radio. The former athlete observed that Steveson rarely attempted takedowns in his recent bouts, relying instead on hands that ultimately failed him against Sharaf’s counter-punching.

The criticism is not just about technique. It is about mindset. Covington believes Steveson became overconfident, overlooking opponents and believing himself invincible. This arrogance, paired with a lack of wrestling pressure, created a recipe for disaster. The brief duration of the fight underscores how quickly a dominant athlete can be dismantled when their primary weapon is left unused.

Cutting ties with bad energy

The most striking part of Covington’s advice is his attack on Jon Jones. He labels the former heavyweight champion as a “demon” and a “horrible person,” citing a long history of controversies involving women, police, and drug testers. “Jon Jones is bad energy,” Covington stated bluntly. He argues that surrounding oneself with such figures rubs off on the athlete, eroding their focus and character.

Covington urges Steveson to build a new camp with like-minded, hardworking individuals who share his faith and values. “He should definitely cut Jon Jones,” he said. The advice is a call to purge the environment around the fighter. If Steveson wants to compete again, he must shed the influence that Covington sees as toxic and return to a grounded, disciplined approach.

A crossroads for the Olympic champ

The fallout from UFC 331 is still unfolding. Steveson has a history of abandoning athletic pursuits, having previously dabbled in the NFL and WWE. Observers wonder if he will quit MMA entirely or double down on his dominance in the heavyweight division. His association with Jones suggests he may lean into the latter, regardless of the cage results, as reported by mmamania.com.

For Jones, this is his first major public step into coaching. Watching his star pupil get knocked out so brutally is a harsh lesson in the volatility of the sport. Whether Steveson listens to Covington or not, the image of a twelve-second knockout lingers. The path forward is uncertain, but the advice to return to wrestling remains the clearest option on the table.