Jon Jones has backed Gable Steveson to recover from his stunning 12-second knockout defeat to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331. But stated that the Olympic wrestling gold medallist's camp must now “add a lot more sparring” to his preparation. Gable Steveson, a heavily hyped heavyweight contender, was stopped by a left hook just seconds into the fight in Los Angeles last month. He suffered his first loss in his professional MMA career. Jones, who has been mentoring Steveson, was in his corner on fight night. He stated that the 26-year-old is already back in training. He stressed that one defeat should not define a fighter.
Sean Sharaf stuns Gable Steveson with a shocking 12-second KO
Gable Steveson entered UFC 331 as a massive favourite. Oddmakers listed him at around -2,500, while Sean Sharaf was a double-digit underdog. But the fight ended almost as soon as it began. Sharaf met Steveson's initial attack with a right hand and then landed a clean left hook to the jaw. This left the former NCAA and Olympic champion unconscious.
The finish, recorded at 12 seconds of the opening round, was the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history. It also handed Sharaf his first UFC victory after two previous Octagon losses, while abruptly halting the momentum Steveson had built since turning to MMA.
Steveson had made an eye-catching UFC debut at UFC 329 in July, stopping Elisha Ellison by first-round TKO. That win followed three first-round finishes earlier in his professional career, fuelling expectations that his elite wrestling background could translate quickly into heavyweight success.
Jon Jones refuses to give up on Steveson after the setback
Despite the scale of the setback, Jones made it clear that he has not lost faith in Steveson. In an interview with the Schmo, the former UFC heavyweight champion praised the American's character away from competition. Jones called him an “extraordinary” athlete, stressing that, “And as far as the athlete that Gable is, he's extraordinary. He's absolutely extraordinary. He deserves good things. He does all the right things.”
“He's in the right headspace. He's right back to training,” Jones said, before identifying more live sparring as a key adjustment for the team. “I feel like, as a team, we need to add a lot more sparring, and we have the little things that we can work on as a team, but he's in great hands. He has great mentors and a great team around him.”
Jones also drew a parallel with St-Pierre's 2007 loss to Matt Serra at UFC 69. The Canadian was stunned by a heavy underdog before rebuilding himself into one of the sport's greatest champions.
At present, Jones remains firmly in his corner. Whether more sparring, sharper fight IQ, and time can restore Steveson's trajectory will become clear in his next Octagon outing.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/kdEI51T
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