Gable Steveson On Rebuilding After UFC 331 KO Loss

Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson faces the first major crisis of his mixed martial arts career after suffering a stunning 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331.

Steveson, who entered the Crypto.com Arena bout in Los Angeles with Jon Jones in his corner and heavy promotional backing from the UFC, never had a chance to use his gold medal wrestling. Sharaf caught him with a left hand before the fight could develop, per MMA Mania. The loss represents a stark reversal for the heavily hyped heavyweight, who was being positioned as the division's next breakout star.

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Crowd Turns On Steveson During UFC 331 Week

Fan sentiment shifted dramatically during fight week. Steveson drew boos at the press conference, weigh-ins, and again when he left the cage before the official decision was announced. Sharaf had attacked Steveson on social media before the fight, referencing a 2019 sexual assault case that was dropped and calling him "Loophole" in reference to the Minnesota law involved. When asked about the situation by Aaron Bronsteter, Steveson responded awkwardly. "We gotta keep moving forward, we gotta keep pushing with our lives," he said. "We can't let a little something that may have occurred — it probably didn't occur, or whatever happened, just slow us down."

The defeat marks Steveson's first real setback in combat sports. He previously walked away from WWE after a brief stint and also tried out for the NFL before committing to MMA. Whether he sticks with the UFC after this loss remains to be seen, but his pattern of leaving ventures when adversity hits is now part of the narrative surrounding his cage career.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — How does Gable Steveson come back from the disaster that was UFC 331?