Gable Steveson’s unbeaten MMA run came to a stunning end at UFC 331, but the knockout loss was only part of the story.
The Olympic gold medalist entered his fifth professional MMA fight as a heavy favorite against Sean Sharaf. Instead, Steveson suffered a nightmare setback when Sharaf landed a crushing left hook just seconds into the contest, scoring a stunning 12-second knockout inside the opening round.
Now, Gable Steveson suffers backlash not only for the defeat itself but also for his actions immediately after the fight.
The Los Angeles crowd watched in disbelief as Steveson hit the canvas unconscious, ending his perfect 4-0 start in devastating fashion. Moments later, the heavyweight prospect drew further criticism when he left the Octagon before Bruce Buffer officially announced the result and before Sharaf’s hand was raised.
The reaction on social media was swift, with fans and analysts questioning Steveson’s response to the loss.
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier was among those who criticized the former Olympic wrestler’s conduct.
“I think Gable made some mistakes in there,” Cormier said after UFC 331.”You’re a 4-0 fighter. Wrestle. You have to. Also, 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.
“If you’re concussed, cry—I did it! There’s the truth! 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.”
Joe Rogan also weighed in on the upset, suggesting that the hype surrounding Steveson may have contributed to the result.
“I think the odds and the hype got to his head and he felt he couldn’t be beaten,” Rogan said.”He stood there flat-footed and Sean just uncorked a picture-perfect left hook. He dipped and then hooked and caught him on the chin. The chin, the head snaps back. Out cold.
“It was one of the greatest storybook, Cinderella stories. It has to be without a doubt the biggest upset based on the odds.”
Despite the criticism, Steveson’s manager, Abe Kawa, urged fans to keep the loss in perspective and backed his fighter to rebound.
“It’s ok that Gable got caught,” Kawa wrote on Instagram.“It’s ok that he was booed. It’s ok his opponent talked sh*t. It’s ok that the world is kicking him when down. It’s the life he chose.
“Islam got clipped. Arman has lost. DJ has lost. GSP lost. DC lost. Jose Aldo lost. All went on to have absolutely legendary careers. We stand by our guy. He will be back real soon and he will be great!”
The defeat marked the first loss of Steveson’s MMA career and halted the momentum that had many predicting a rapid rise through the heavyweight ranks.
While UFC CEO Dana White appeared less critical of Steveson’s post-fight actions than others, the former Olympic champion now faces the biggest test of his combat sports career.
As Gable Steveson suffers backlash following the shocking defeat, the focus will shift to how he responds. Many great fighters have bounced back from devastating losses, but Steveson’s next move could ultimately define the future of his UFC career.
