Sean Sharaf produced one of the biggest upsets of UFC 331 by knocking out Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The result ended Steveson’s unbeaten professional MMA record and marked the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.
Steveson entered the contest as a massive favorite, while Sharaf was widely regarded as a significant underdog. Sharaf wasted no time once the fight began and caught Steveson with a clean left hook during the opening exchange.
The former Olympic wrestler was dropped immediately, with Sharaf following up with additional strikes before the referee stopped the contest at the 12-second mark. Steveson chose to engage in stand-up exchanges rather than rely on his wrestling immediately.
The result prompted an immediate reaction from Sean Strickland, who celebrated Sharaf’s victory on social media. Strickland expressed excitement over the former U.S. Marine’s performance and praised Sharaf following the shocking result. He took to X and wrote:
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“MY MAN!!!!! BRO LET’S FU*KING GO!!!! Sean Sharaf legend.”
Check out Sean Strickland’s reaction below:
The knockout came after a highly contentious buildup between Steveson and Sharaf. Their rivalry had included heated exchanges during fight week, with Sharaf repeatedly attacking Steveson over allegations surrounding a 2019 incident. The controversy became a major part of the buildup.
Sharaf entered the fight with a 4-2 professional record and two previous UFC defeats, while Steveson was 4-0 as a professional and had won his UFC debut. The Olympic gold medalist was widely viewed as one of the more intriguing heavyweight prospects on the roster because of his elite wrestling background and athletic ability.
Instead, Sharaf needed only 12 seconds to change the trajectory of both fighters’ careers. The win gave him his first UFC victory and ended Steveson’s unbeaten run.
Strickland’s reaction also followed his previous criticism of Steveson during fight week. The UFC middleweight champion had publicly attacked the heavyweight over the allegations surrounding his past and backed Sharaf during their heated buildup.
Edited by Abhishek Nambiar