Jones fires back at Covington after protégé Steveson's 12-second UFC 331 knockout

Jon Jones launched a pointed public rebuke of Colby Covington on X on October 7, after Covington attributed Gable Steveson’s stunning 12-second knockout defeat to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 on September 19 to Jones’ supposed “bad energy.”

Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and Jones’ protégé, was stopped by Sharaf in one of the most significant upsets in UFC history. Covington wasted little time in pointing the finger at Jones, arguing that Steveson needed to separate himself from the heavyweight’s negative influence.

Jones rejected the premise entirely, noting that Steveson had finished every opponent in the first round before the Sharaf fight. He also turned Covington’s criticism back on him, contrasting his own global popularity with what he described as Covington’s need for full-time security in his own country.

“It’s funny that you blame Gable’s loss on my ‘negative energy.’ Meanwhile, I’m an undefeated fighter living the absolute American dream,” Jones wrote. “I travel the world alone and get mobbed by fans, while you need full-time security in your own country. You come out once a quarter to do an interview about me and what a terrible person I am. Boy, you’re obsessed with me.”

Jones also invoked their shared history, noting that the two were once college roommates, before arguing that the gap between their respective careers speaks for itself. “We started off in the same dorm room, yet I’ve earned and achieved literally ten times more than you have,” he added.

Covington has not competed in the UFC since a December 2024 loss to Joaquin Buckley, and has since taken part in wrestling events primarily under the Real American Freestyle banner. Jones, for his part, vacated the UFC heavyweight championship in 2025 but has repeatedly hinted at a return to competition.