Rogan: Jon Jones May Have Made Steveson Overconfident

Joe Rogan says he believes Jon Jones' presence in Gable Steveson's corner may have fed the kind of overconfidence that contributed to Steveson's shocking first-round knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331.

Steveson walked into the Crypto.com Arena as a massive favorite, with sportsbooks pricing him at -3000 against Sharaf's +1000, only to get knocked out cold in 12 seconds. Rogan raised the question directly to Sharaf on his podcast, suggesting that training and traveling alongside the sport's consensus pound-for-pound great can warp a young fighter's sense of where he actually stands.

"That's the problem, you're hanging out with a guy who's the GOAT and you start thinking you're the next guy," Rogan said. "You might be. You could be, if you do the right things. But if you believe it before it happens? You have to be cautious but also confident. There's this dance of the mind. There's so much going on to be an elite fighter."

What Rogan Said About Sharaf's Upset

Rogan credited Sharaf for delivering one of the sport's great reminders that styles, odds, and reputations mean nothing once the cage door closes. "What you did elevated the whole sport," Rogan told Sharaf. "Because when you see a guy that's a giant favorite, and I thought this guy had the potential to be an all-time great. He's an Olympic gold medalist, and we've seen that before. Get a guy who's an elite wrestler like Daniel Cormier, there's a lot of examples of elite wrestlers who become all-time greats. You changed everything with one punch."

That comparison to Daniel Cormier matters. Rogan wasn't dismissing Steveson's pedigree as empty hype, he was pointing out that elite wrestling has translated to all-time greatness before. The knockout doesn't erase that resume, but it does reset the clock on proving it inside the cage rather than on the mat or in the gym with Jones.

What This Means for Steveson Going Forward

Steveson now has to answer questions about whether he can bounce back the way he hasn't in prior ventures outside MMA. Whatever aura came with having Jones in his corner is gone, and future opponents are unlikely to be intimidated by his wrestling resume or his training partners after watching him get finished in 12 seconds.

For bettors, the lesson is straightforward. A -3000 price on an unproven heavyweight with a thin professional sample, regardless of amateur pedigree or who's standing in his corner, was always more about narrative than tested data. Sharaf's win is the latest in a run of 2026 upsets that have made short favorites in heavyweight matchups a much riskier bet than the moneyline suggests. Expect sportsbooks to shade future Steveson lines more conservatively until he proves himself against real UFC-level competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Joe Rogan say about Gable Steveson and Jon Jones?

Joe Rogan suggested on his podcast that training alongside Jon Jones may have made Gable Steveson overconfident heading into his UFC 331 knockout loss to Sean Sharaf.

What happened between Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf at UFC 331?

Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson in the first round at UFC 331, a massive upset given Steveson entered as a heavy betting favorite.

Was Gable Steveson favored to beat Sean Sharaf?

Yes, Gable Steveson was priced at -3000 against Sean Sharaf's +1000 before Sharaf scored the knockout upset at UFC 331.