Steveson Maintains Innocence On Sexual Assault Allegation

Gable Steveson has addressed the sexual assault allegation from his college years that opponent Sean Sharaf repeatedly referenced during fight week ahead of UFC 331.

The Olympic gold medalist, who lost to Sharaf via knockout in just 12 seconds at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday night, posted a statement on social media three days after the upset, per MMA Mania. Sharaf brought up the incident from Steveson's time at the University of Minnesota multiple times in the buildup to the bout.

Steveson Denies Allegation, Cites Closed Investigation

Steveson wrote that the allegation was never pursued as a criminal charge and that the district attorney dropped the matter after a full investigation. "I want to be clear: I did not do anything alleged," he said in the statement. "I was never charged with a crime, and the matter was ultimately dropped by the District Attorney."

The former NCAA champion added that both law enforcement and a separate Title IX review examined the case. He said his attorney conducted an independent investigation and concluded the outcome would remain the same even if laws were changed.

Steveson suggested Sharaf raised the allegation to gain a mental edge before the fight. "I believe it was raised to get in my head, but it also reopened something that had been addressed years ago," he wrote. The heavyweight prospect said he will now focus on his wife, daughter, and family moving forward.

Steveson fell to 1-1 in his UFC career with the loss. No date has been announced for his next octagon appearance.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — ‘Great’ Gable Steveson breaks silence on historic UFC 331 knockout loss, addresses ‘loophole’ incident – ‘You caught me’