A report has resurfaced details about 2019 sexual assault allegations against UFC heavyweight Gable Steveson, the Olympic champion and protégé of Jon Jones. On June 15, 2019, while Steveson was a member of the U.S. wrestling team during an Olympic cycle, he and a teammate were arrested and accused of gang rape involving a foreign object. The alleged 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 is no direct proof of Steveson's guilt, the law was changed after this case to allow victim testimony under any circumstances.
A report published on April 25, 2026, has brought renewed attention to sexual assault allegations made against UFC heavyweight Gable Steveson stemming from an incident in June 2019.
According to the report, Steveson — then a member of the U.S. wrestling team during an Olympic cycle — and a teammate were arrested on June 15, 2019, and accused of gang rape involving a foreign object. The alleged victim sought medical attention at a hospital immediately following the incident and filed charges at that time.
The charges against Steveson were ultimately dropped due to a legal loophole that barred the victim's testimony from being admitted in court, because she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the evening of the incident. No independent witnesses were present; only Steveson, his teammate, and the alleged victim were involved, and the accounts given by those parties contradicted one another. The report notes that no direct proof of Steveson's guilt exists in the public record.
Significantly, the case prompted a change in the law, which was subsequently amended to allow victim testimony to be admitted under any circumstances, closing the loophole that led to the charges being dropped.
Steveson has been publicly associated with Jon Jones, the 38-year-old UFC heavyweight champion who holds a professional record of 28-1-0 and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport's history. Jones has served as a mentor figure to Steveson as the young wrestler transitioned toward mixed martial arts.
Why it matters
- The report surfaces serious historical allegations at a moment when Steveson is building a public profile in the UFC's heavyweight division.
- The legal outcome was shaped by a procedural rule that has since been changed, raising ongoing questions about how the case was resolved.
- The connection to Jon Jones, a prominent figure in the sport, adds further visibility to the story.
