Walker On Steveson's Mental State Before Upset

Gable Steveson's mental state was compromised by a torrent of online abuse before his shocking 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331, according to Valter Walker.

Steveson entered his Sept. 19 bout against Sean Sharaf as a heavy favorite but was put to sleep by a left hook before most fans had settled into their seats. Walker told Red Corner MMA that the Olympic gold medalist was rattled by intense backlash during fight week, including relentless booing at the press conference and weigh-ins.

Controversy And Social Media Fallout Before UFC 331

Sharaf repeatedly referenced past controversies during the build-up, and fans flooded comment sections with Steveson's mug shot and references to 2019 sexual assault allegations. Walker claims Steveson lost roughly half a million Instagram followers in the days before the fight.

"People are calling him a rapist," Walker said, per Sherdog. "And I think that can really shake your head before a fight. UFC is very big pressure. I think people really messed with him mentally. He went into the cage, but mentally, he wasn't there."

Sharaf improved to 1-2 in the UFC with the win, while Steveson suffered the first loss of his mixed martial arts career. The credentialed wrestler had been expected to steamroll his relatively unknown opponent before the heavyweight upset stunned the promotion.

Steveson has not commented publicly on his next move since the knockout loss.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Gable Steveson ‘wasn’t there’ mentally before historic UFC upset