Daniel Cormier Addresses Backlash Over Gable Steveson UFC 331 Criticism

Gable Steveson faced heavy backlash from the MMA community following his second Octagon appearance this past weekend at UFC 331. The Olympic gold medalist was knocked out by Sean Sharaf in just 12 seconds, and his disrespectful posture prior to the contest combined with his immediate exit from the cage drew sharp rebukes from commentators and fans alike. Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan both ripped Steveson for being an "ungrateful loser," with Cormier arguing that the heavyweight should have stayed inside the cage and taken his lumps.

Following Cormier's remarks, various MMA social media accounts were quick to point out perceived hypocrisy by resurfacing footage of Cormier's own post-fight reaction after being knocked out by Jon Jones at UFC 214—a bout later overturned to a no-contest. Cormier responded to the resurfaced clips by stating, "Every time I see something from that night post knockout it’s the first time I’ve seen it. That’s crazy."

Amid the controversy surrounding Steveson's swift departure from the Octagon, Jones, who serves as Steveson's coach and mentor, took full responsibility for the decision, explaining that he simply wanted to get Steveson out of the cage. Steveson has not yet commented on the loss or the post-fight controversy.