The simmering feud between grappling star Craig Jones and Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson has taken another turn, with Jones appearing to suggest that Steveson’s recent knockout victory may not have been entirely legitimate.
Jones posted a cryptic message to his Instagram story that has set the martial arts community buzzing with speculation. The post featured what appears to be a screenshot from a conversation referencing Steveson’s participation in a DBX event, with text reading:
“can appreciate you’ve said it’s a favourable match up but even if Gable were to receive a cut, our event could be in jeopardy.”
Jones added his own commentary to the post, writing:
“I wonder if this was the ‘fixed’ fi ght he wanted to do 2 days before CJI 2? Either way, massive accomplishment.”
The timing Jones references is particularly notable. DBX 3 took place on August 29 in Miami just days before CJI 2, where Steveson was originally scheduled to face Jones in what was being promoted as potentially Jones’ retirement bout. Steveson withdrew from that grappling match at the last minute citing a toe injury.
The controversy deepened when Steveson later claimed that Jones had actually asked him to lose their scheduled grappling match intentionally. Speaking on a podcast appearance, Steveson alleged:
“If you really want to ask, there was a look in the eye of saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to retire after this match. I don’t want to take this loss. Can you do this for me?’ And we’ll leave it as that.”
When directly asked if Jones had wanted him to throw the match, Steveson confirmed:
“We sat, we thought, we disagreed.”
Jones fired back at those accusations with a pointed question on social media:
“So you agreed to a ‘work’? But then got injured and had to pull out of a work. Make that make sense for me?”
Now with his latest Instagram post, Jones appears to be turning Steveson’s own accusations back on him, implying that the former Olympian may have been seeking exactly the kind of predetermined outcome he accused Jones of wanting.
Steveson’s DBX 4 appearance on October 31 saw him demolish opponent Billy Swanson in just 15 seconds with a devastating uppercut. Following the stoppage, Steveson called out Mick Maynard, who was in attendance.
“I think a special guest was here to watch me, but I’m just not sure where he is,” Steveson said. “His name is Mick Maynard, and he’s right there! Mick, you’ve seen a little bit. I would love to show a lot more. Hopefully, you believe in me, and I appreciate you.”
While the quick knockout appeared dominant, Jones’ post has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the match. The screenshot he shared suggests the matchmaking might’ve been at the very least biased – which is no surprise considering Gable’s mentor Jon Jones is running the show at DBX.
Neither Steveson nor DBX officials have directly responded to Jones’ latest insinuation.
The back-and-forth between the two athletes shows no signs of cooling down with each new development adding another layer to their ongoing public dispute.
