UFC 331: Jon Jones left stunned cageside watching protege Gable Steveson knocked out cold

Jon Jones watched in stunned silence cageside at UFC 331 as his heavyweight protégé Gable Steveson suffered a devastating 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Jones, the retired two-division UFC champion, had taken Steveson under his wing during the Olympic gold medalist's transition from elite wrestling to MMA. Steveson entered the fight unbeaten at 4–0 and was a heavy betting favorite, but Sharaf—who came in 0–2 in the UFC—landed a devastating left hook early and sent Steveson to sleep. Video circulating online captured Jones's emotional reaction to the upset, showing him appearing to say "Oh, my God!" while exchanging a look with head coach Greg Jackson. The knockout marked the first professional loss for Steveson, who had dismissed Sharaf as merely a stepping stone to title contention during the pre-fight buildup.