Sean Sharaf Defeats Gable Steveson with 12-Second Knockout

LOS ANGELES: Gable Steveson’s unbeaten start to professional MMA ended in an instant at UFC 331 as Sean Sharaf stopped the highly regarded heavyweight prospect 12 seconds into their meeting at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

The result transformed what had been a difficult UFC run for Sharaf into his first victory in the promotion. The former US Marine entered the fight without a win in his first two UFC appearances, but his latest performance moved his professional record to 5-2. UFC also awarded him a special $100,000 MobLand bonus for the upset.

Steveson, meanwhile, left the arena with his first professional MMA defeat. The Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medallist had won all four of his previous fights, including a first-round stoppage of Elisha Ellison on his UFC debut in July.

The Sean Sharaf defeats Gable Steveson result came after barely a dozen seconds of action. Steveson opened with a low kick, but Sharaf immediately found his range and landed a left hand that sent the former NCAA champion to the canvas. The referee stopped the contest at 0:12.

It was the third-fastest knockout recorded in UFC heavyweight history and one of the biggest betting upsets of the event. Sharaf had been a substantial underdog against a fighter who had entered UFC 331 with four knockout wins from four professional bouts.

Steveson had entered MMA with an accomplished wrestling background. Alongside his Olympic title, he won NCAA Division I championships in 2021 and 2022 and had been training with former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Sharaf said his preparation and confidence were central to the victory.

“I prayed so hard, worked so hard and believed in myself,” said Sharaf.

The scale of the result has already prompted descriptions of the biggest upset in UFC history, although such comparisons are subjective. What is not in dispute is the speed of the finish and the fact that Sharaf recorded his first UFC victory while handing Steveson his first professional loss.

Also read: Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy