Cormier Calls Steveson 'Ungrateful Loser' After UFC 331 Exit

Daniel Cormier ripped Gable Steveson for leaving the octagon before the official decision was read after his shocking 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Steveson closed as a -2400 favorite before Sharaf connected with a counter left hook that put the Olympic gold medalist to sleep, per MMA Fighting. After getting up from the canvas, Steveson walked straight out of the cage without congratulating his opponent or waiting for Bruce Buffer to announce the result.

Cormier On Steveson's Behavior After Loss

"You stand there and you take your licks whenever you lose," Cormier said on the UFC 331 broadcast, as reported by MMA Fighting. "You let that man get his hand raised and you stand there no matter how you feel. If you're concussed, cry — I did it! There's the truth! But you take your licking whenever stuff doesn't go your way. You cannot be a great winner but then an ungrateful loser and I think that was bad by Steveson."

Joe Rogan, who called the fight alongside Cormier, suggested the hype surrounding Steveson led him to believe the fight would be easy. The commentator described the finish as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, with Sharaf entering the bout 0-2 in the octagon.

Steveson's manager Abe Kawa released a statement Sunday comparing the 26-year-old to fighters like Islam Makhachev and Georges St-Pierre, both of whom rebounded from early losses. Kawa wrote on Instagram that Steveson will return soon, according to MMA Fighting. Sharaf collected $100,000 in bonuses for the performance.

Steveson earned $160,000 for the loss, per MMA Mania. No date has been announced for his next fight.

Photo: Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Gable Steveson’s manager releases statement after shocking 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331 | MMA Fighting
• mmafighting.com — Daniel Cormier, Joe Rogan criticize ‘ungrateful loser’ Gable Steveson for behavior after knockout loss at UFC 331 | MMA Fighting
• mmamania.com — UFC 331, The Morning After: Will Gable Steveson ever fight again after embarrassing 12-second knockout loss? | MMA Mania