UFC newcomer and Olympic champion Gable Steveson, who is a protégé of Jon Jones, faced serious legal trouble in 2019 during his Olympic cycle. On June 15, 2019, Steveson and a teammate were arrested and charged with group sexual assault involving a foreign object. The alleged victim went to the hospital and immediately made the accusations. However, 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 proof of Steveson's guilt, the law was changed after this case to ensure that victim testimony is now considered in court regardless of circumstances. The post notes that how to view this situation is up to each individual, and includes a video of Steveson celebrating with Jones at a Dirty Boxing event.
In 2019, Gable Steveson — the Olympic gold medalist and current UFC newcomer — faced serious criminal allegations when he and a teammate were arrested and charged with group sexual assault involving a foreign object on June 15 of that year.
According to the report, the alleged victim sought medical attention immediately following the incident and made her accusations at that time. The case against Steveson and his teammate was ultimately dropped, not due to a finding of innocence, but because of a legal loophole that barred the victim's testimony from being admitted as evidence. The disqualifying factor was that she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the evening in question. With no witnesses beyond the victim and the two wrestlers, and with their accounts directly contradicting hers, prosecutors could not proceed. There was no direct proof of guilt established against Steveson.
Notably, the case had a legislative consequence: the law in question was subsequently changed so that a victim's testimony is now admissible in court regardless of circumstances surrounding alcohol consumption.
Steveson has since entered the UFC orbit as a protégé of Jon Jones, the former two-division champion and one of the sport's most accomplished fighters. Jones, 38, carries a professional record of 28-1-0 and is known for elite striking accuracy of 58 percent along with a reach of 84 inches. Steveson was seen celebrating with Jones at a Dirty Boxing event, footage of which has circulated alongside this report.
Why it matters
- The charges were dropped on procedural grounds, not a finding of factual innocence, a distinction the report makes clear
- The case directly prompted a change in state law regarding victim testimony and alcohol consumption
- Steveson's association with Jones places him under significant public scrutiny as he begins his MMA career
- How individuals weigh this history as Steveson enters professional competition is, as the report acknowledges, a matter of personal judgment
