"Glass jaw" - MMA legend defends Gable Steveson from barrage of criticism after UFC KO defeat

Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf's heavyweight MMA matchup has been a hot-button topic over the past few weeks. It's elicited condemnation for Steveson and praise for Sharaf. 

A former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight championship challenger has given his assessment of the same, defending Steveson against the widespread criticism he's facing over the stunning defeat.

He specifically addressed the concerns raised by some fans about Steveson's supposedly compromised durability, what many of his critics deem a glass jaw, i.e., an inability to stay conscious after sustaining a heavy strike(s). 

Gable Steveson has faced "glass jaw" accusations since his first MMA defeat

Gable Steveson is counted among the very top prospects in the sport of mixed martial arts. He notched an Olympic gold medal in the 125 kg category in the sport of freestyle wrestling, which came back in 2020. He entered the UFC with a 3-0 MMA record back in July, knocking out Elisha Ellison and moving to 4-0. 

Nevertheless, his very next Octagon outing ended with him getting caught with a thunderous left hook and knocked out cold by Sean Sharaf, which was just 12 seconds into their fight at UFC 331 on September 19. He is, resultantly, 4-1 in the sport as of now. 

A number of detractors soon weighed in by casting aspersions on Steveson's ability to withstand heavy strikes. Many critics opined that Steveson, a wrestling extraordinaire, might not be used to and would probably find it tough to ever adapt to enduring striking maneuvers. Some went as far as asserting that he has a proverbial glass jaw. 

Chael Sonnen counters glass jaw hypothesis about UFC heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson

Taking to his official YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen has suggested that Sean Sharaf's punch from the finishing sequence at UFC 331 would've knocked anyone out. Sonnen stated: 

"Does Gable Steveson have a glass jaw? Or was that punch gonna knock anyone out? I don't think any of us could have taken that punch." 

Alluding to Sharaf's military background and the fact that large sections of the MMA realm likely scared him by hyping up Steveson as an unbeatable monster, Sonnen explained: 

"But now let's say -- you've got a military man, who's a trained professional cage fighter, and he's scared." 

Moreover, Sonnen suggested that Sharaf -- a military veteran, who's trained and competing in MMA, and was constantly reminded of Steveson would handily best him -- saw an opening. He asserted that the heavyweight capitalized on a minor mistake Steveson made, putting all his might into the knockout punch. 

He added, "No, I have no evidence that Gable has a glass jaw." 

Sonnen even pointed out that Steveson walked through a vicious elbow Ellison threw at him in his maiden Octagon appearance back in July, earning laudation for his granite jaw.

He further emphasized that one risks losing their own credibility by harshly judging an athlete over what happened in a mere 12 seconds. "The Bad Guy" believes that, as such, Steveson doesn't deserve the seemingly never-ending barrage of criticism directed at him. 

It's unclear as to whom Steveson and Sharaf would fight in their respective next matchups. Steveson's coach, MMA legend Jon Jones, has highlighted that he'll return triumphantly. Meanwhile, Sharaf had pondered retirement, whilst also being called out by another rising star, Anthony Wint -- with Wint later agreeing that retiring might be the better option for Sharaf. 

Watch Chael Sonnen come to Gable Steveson's defense below: