Olympic champion and new UFC heavyweight Gable Steveson, who is mentored by Jon Jones, faced serious legal trouble in 2019 during his Olympic training cycle. On June 15, 2019, Steveson and a teammate were arrested and charged with gang rape involving the use of a foreign object after a woman reported the incident to police and went to the hospital. The case ultimately had charges 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 alleged assault. No witnesses existed besides the victim and the two wrestling team members, and their accounts contradicted each other. While there was no direct proof of Steveson's guilt, the law was changed specifically after this case to ensure victim testimony is now considered under all circumstances. The UFC's newest star signing carries this controversial history as he begins his MMA career under Jones's guidance.
A detailed account of a 2019 sexual assault case involving Gable Steveson, the Olympic wrestling champion recently signed by the UFC, has surfaced as the decorated athlete prepares to launch his professional MMA career under the mentorship of heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
According to the report, on June 15, 2019, Steveson and a teammate were arrested and charged with gang rape involving the use of a foreign object. The incident occurred during his Olympic training cycle after a woman reported the assault to police and sought hospital treatment. The accounts given by the victim and the two wrestlers contradicted one another, and no independent witnesses were present.
Charges against Steveson were ultimately dropped due to a legal loophole that, at the time, prevented a victim's testimony from being admitted in court if she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the night of the alleged assault. The case did not produce direct proof of guilt, but the circumstances were significant enough that lawmakers subsequently changed the law to ensure victim testimony is now admissible regardless of voluntary alcohol consumption.
Why it matters
- Steveson arrives at the UFC carrying substantial reputational baggage that predates his professional fighting career
- The legal case was resolved on procedural grounds rather than a finding of innocence, a distinction that shapes public perception
- Jones, one of the sport's most polarizing figures given his own legal history, is publicly aligned with Steveson as his mentor
- The UFC's decision to sign Steveson places the organization in the middle of renewed scrutiny over how it vets high-profile recruits
The UFC has not been reported to have commented on the case in connection with Steveson's signing. The story emerges at a particularly visible moment, with Steveson positioned as a marquee prospect in the heavyweight division and his mentor relationship with Jones drawing considerable attention to his transition from amateur wrestling to professional MMA.
