TLDR
- Gable Steveson was knocked out in 12 seconds by underdog Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 19, 2026
- Steveson left the cage before the official decision was announced, drawing criticism from fans, fighters, and commentators
- Manager Abe Kawa defended Steveson, comparing him to fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Islam Makhachev who lost but had legendary careers
- Sharaf entered as a +900 betting underdog and earned $100,000 in bonuses for the performance
- Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier criticized Steveson’s actions, with Cormier calling him an ‘ungrateful loser’
Sources: mmamania.com | mmafighting.com | foxsports.com.au
Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson suffered a devastating 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The heavily favored wrestler was stopped by a left hook from underdog Sean Sharaf, who entered the fight as a +900 betting favorite.
After recovering from the knockout, Steveson left the octagon before ring announcer Bruce Buffer could read the official decision. The crowd booed loudly as he exited the arena.
Sharaf had targeted Steveson throughout fight week, bringing up 2019 rape allegations against the wrestler during media interviews and press conferences. The strategy turned the Los Angeles crowd against Steveson before the fight even began.
Once the bell rang, Sharaf moved forward quickly and landed a clean left hook on Steveson’s chin. The Olympic champion crashed to the canvas unconscious, ending his undefeated record.
🚨 Chael Sonnen says if you think Gable Steveson is over, you're a “new fan” and compares his loss to Islam Makhachev and Bo Nickal.
🗣“History repeats itself. So if you've been a fan for a while, you don't really think a whole lot of what happened to Gable. But if you're new,… pic.twitter.com/DvgzxWtIZ1
— FightLuck (@FightluckBet) September 21, 2026
Fighters and Commentators Criticize Walk-Out
UFC light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby posted on social media immediately after the fight. “Wtf is this Gable guy walking out of the octagon early for?! Make his ass stand there like everyone else. That’s some downright b/s if you ask me. Lost all respect for that dude too,” Jacoby wrote.
Daniel Cormier, a former UFC champion, addressed Steveson’s exit during the post-fight broadcast. “You stand there and you take your licks whenever you lose. You let that man get his hand raised and you stand there no matter how you feel,” Cormier said.
“If you’re concussed, cry — I did it. 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,” Cormier added.
Joe Rogan suggested Steveson had been overconfident going into the fight. “I think the odds and the hype got to his head and he felt he couldn’t be beaten. He stood there flat-footed and Sean just uncorked a picture-perfect left hook,” Rogan said.
Manager Releases Statement of Support
Steveson’s manager, Abe Kawa, released a statement on Instagram defending his client. “It’s ok that Gable got caught. It’s ok that he was booed. It’s ok his opponent talked s–t. It’s ok that the world is kicking him when down. It’s the life he chose,” Kawa wrote.
Kawa compared Steveson to several UFC legends who suffered losses but went on to have successful careers. “Islam got clipped. Arman has lost. DJ has lost. Gsp lost. Dc lost. Jose Aldo lost. All went on to have absolutely legendary careers,” the statement read.
“We stand by our guy. He will be back real soon and he will be great!” Kawa concluded.
Steveson entered UFC 331 with a 4-0 record after starting his mixed martial arts career in September 2025. He won his UFC debut against Elisha Ellison by first-round knockout but was hit hard during that fight as well.
The two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and Olympic gold medalist had previously attempted careers in the NFL and WWE. Both efforts were abandoned after setbacks.
Sharaf earned $100,000 in bonuses for his performance. He had lost both of his previous UFC fights before facing Steveson.
UFC president Dana White addressed the upset at the post-fight press conference. “Anything is possible when two guys get in there and start fighting. You never know how fights are going to go,” White told reporters.
Steveson earned $160,000 for the fight despite the 12-second loss.
