Jon Jones has accepted responsibility for Gable Steveson walking out of the octagon right after being knocked out 12 seconds into their fight at UFC 331, according to Bleacher Report.
The loss ended Steveson's night almost as soon as it began, and he left the cage immediately afterward rather than staying for the usual post-fight sequence. The moment drew attention, and Jones addressed it publicly in a statement, per MMA Fighting.
ESPN reported that Jones took the blame for Steveson's decision to leave early. Sports Illustrated also covered Jones accepting fault for what it described as a controversial moment following the upset.
Steveson had entered the promotion as one of Dana White's highly touted prospects, a framing reflected in Defector's headline calling him "Dana White's Latest UFC Prodigy" before the 12-second defeat.
Jones' public comments mark his first extended response to the fallout from the fight. The reporting across Bleacher Report, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and MMA Fighting centers on the same sequence of events: a brief bout, a fast finish, and a fighter who exited before the broadcast had moved on.
What Jones said in full, and whether Steveson or the UFC issues any further comment, has not been detailed in the reporting so far.
