Gable Steveson suffers 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331

At UFC 331 in Los Angeles, Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson suffered a shocking 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf, marking the first defeat of his professional MMA career. The upset, which was one of the largest in betting history, occurred amidst intense controversy.

During the fight week, Sharaf publicly referenced sexual assault allegations against Steveson from 2019 while he was at the University of Minnesota. Steveson has since issued a lengthy statement denying any wrongdoing, noting that he was never charged with a crime and the matter was dropped by the district attorney following a thorough review and a Title IX investigation.

Following the fight, Steveson faced criticism from commentators like Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan for leaving the Octagon before the official result was announced. Jon Jones, who was in Steveson's corner, took responsibility for the quick exit, stating he wanted to ensure his friend was physically okay after the heavy knockout. Other figures, including Colby Covington and Israel Adesanya, offered varying advice regarding Steveson's training camp and mental approach moving forward.

Sharaf, who entered the fight with an 0-2 UFC record, earned a $100,000 total bonus from the promotion following his victory.