UFC newcomer and Olympic champion Gable Steveson, a protégé of Jon Jones, was arrested in June 2019 along with a teammate on charges of group sexual assault. The alleged victim went to a hospital and immediately filed charges. Due to limited publicly available information about the case, details remain scarce. Ultimately, the charges were 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 incident. There were no witnesses besides the victim and the two wrestlers, and their accounts contradicted each other. While no direct evidence of Steveson's guilt exists, the law was subsequently changed after this case so that victim testimony is now considered by the court under any circumstances. The post includes video of Steveson celebrating with Jones at a Dirty Boxing event.
A legal case from Gable Steveson's past has resurfaced following his emergence as a UFC newcomer with ties to heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
In June 2019, Steveson — an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling who has since signed with the UFC — was arrested alongside a teammate on charges of group sexual assault. According to the summary of events, the alleged victim sought medical attention immediately after the incident and filed charges at that time. The case ultimately did not result in a conviction, not due to an absence of charges but because of a specific legal mechanism: the victim's testimony was ruled inadmissible in court on the grounds that she had voluntarily consumed alcohol on the evening in question. With no independent witnesses and contradictory accounts from the parties involved, prosecutors had no viable path forward once that testimony was excluded.
The case had a lasting legal impact. Following this outcome, the relevant law was subsequently amended so that victim testimony is now admissible in court regardless of whether alcohol was involved.
Steveson's connection to Jones has also drawn attention. Video from a Dirty Boxing event shows Steveson celebrating alongside Jones, the 38-year-old heavyweight titleholder and one of the most decorated fighters in UFC history. Jones, who stands six-foot-four with an 84-inch reach and carries a professional record of 28 wins and one loss, has been publicly supportive of Steveson's transition to mixed martial arts.
Why it matters
- The 2019 case involved no criminal conviction but resulted in a subsequent change to evidentiary law
- No direct evidence of Steveson's guilt was established, though no exoneration was formally recorded either
- Steveson's association with Jones elevates his public profile as he enters the UFC, amplifying scrutiny of his background
