UFC newcomer and Olympic champion Gable Steveson, who is mentored by Jon Jones, was involved in a 2019 sexual assault case during his Olympic training cycle with Team USA wrestling. On June 15, 2019, Steveson and a teammate were arrested and charged with group sexual assault involving a foreign object. The victim went to a hospital and immediately filed charges. The charges were ultimately dropped due to a legal loophole that prevented the victim's testimony from being admitted because she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the evening of the incident. There were no witnesses besides the victim and the two wrestlers, and their accounts contradicted each other. While there was no direct evidence of Steveson's guilt, the law was subsequently changed after this case to ensure victim testimony is considered regardless of circumstances.
A sexual assault case involving UFC newcomer Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, has resurfaced as he prepares to begin his professional mixed martial arts career.
According to the case details, on June 15, 2019, Steveson and a teammate were arrested and charged with group sexual assault involving a foreign object. The incident occurred during Steveson's Olympic training cycle with Team USA wrestling. The victim sought immediate medical attention and filed charges. Ultimately, prosecutors dropped the case due to a legal loophole that barred the victim's testimony from being admitted as evidence because she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the night of the assault. With no independent witnesses and contradicting accounts from the two wrestlers and the victim, the case could not proceed. Notably, the law was subsequently amended following this case to ensure that victim testimony is admissible regardless of whether alcohol was voluntarily consumed.
Steveson enters the UFC under the mentorship of Jon Jones, the heavyweight champion widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. Jones, 38, holds a professional record of 28 wins and one loss, and carries elite credentials across every facet of the sport, landing 4.38 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy while averaging 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes throughout his career.
Why it matters
- Steveson is a high-profile UFC signing, and the resurfacing of these allegations raises scrutiny over his transition into professional MMA.
- The charges were dropped through a legal mechanism that has since been closed by subsequent legislation, a detail that adds significant context to how the case concluded.
- The association with Jones, himself no stranger to legal controversy during his career, draws further attention to Steveson's pre-debut profile.
- The UFC has not publicly addressed the matter based on available information, leaving questions about how the organization will respond.
