Jon Jones says Gable Steveson needs “a lot more” in training after rapid UFC loss

Jon Jones is expressing confidence in Gable Steveson’s ability to absorb the fallout from his first UFC loss, while also pointing to at least one clear adjustment he believes must happen in the training process. Jones discussed Steveson after the heavyweight prospect was stopped quickly by Sean Sharaf, an outcome that became one of the most startling upsets surrounding UFC 331 last month.

According to the account carried by Yahoo Sports, Jones said Steveson will “weather the storm,” framing the defeat as the kind of early-career shock that can clarify what a fighter needs to add. The same report described Steveson’s overall professional background as 4-1 in MMA and 1-1 in the UFC heading into the next phase of his development.

The key point in Jones’s comments is that he is not treating the loss as a terminal verdict on Steveson’s ceiling. Instead, Jones indicated that there is something specific Steveson must do more of in training, using the phrase “a lot more.” While the report does not spell out additional details in the material provided, it does make clear the focus is on modifying preparation rather than questioning Steveson’s long-term viability.

Steveson’s stoppage by Sharaf took only 12 seconds, which is the kind of timing that forces a fighter and camp to revisit fundamentals quickly, even when the broader athletic profile remains intact. At the UFC level, small lapses can get punished immediately, and a single early sequence often determines whether a fighter gets to work at their preferred pace or gets dragged into a fight they did not plan for.

Jones’s role as a mentor adds extra context to the situation. The UFC legend has previously been associated with the idea that elite-level combat sports progress is built through incremental changes, often centered on discipline and repeatable habits. In that framework, Jones’s message reads less like a reaction to a one-off moment and more like a blueprint for what he believes will help Steveson tighten the gap between training and execution.

What to watch next is how Steveson and his team translate the “a lot more” emphasis into measurable adjustments once he returns. The immediate question is whether his training priorities begin to show up in early-fight composure, defensive decision-making, and the ability to avoid the kinds of fast, fight-ending sequences that defined UFC 331 for him.

If Jones’s guidance leads to visible improvements, it could reshape how fans and matchmakers view Steveson’s growth curve after a painful debut. If not, the same comments could also underline a broader truth in MMA: even highly touted prospects can struggle when a big step up exposes a specific training weakness that takes more than talent to fix.