LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 19: Gable Steveson reacts after losing to Sean Sharaf during the heavyweight bout at UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena on September 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
We may have just witnessed the greatest schadenfreude in UFC history Old Sharaf was immediately kicked out Gable Steveson (see it here).
Steveson has not ingratiated himself with UFC fans, which at first seems a bit odd. Heavyweight division desperately needs interesting new blood … and Steveson certainly qualifies. The Olympic gold medalist with knockout power should be an instant fan favorite, someone who will bring the fan base to the Octagon already.
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
First of all there is an alleged 2019 sexual assault casewhich has followed Steveson as a second shadow throughout fight week. Sharaf was quick to throw these accusations in Steveson’s face and Steveson’s reaction was… unsettling? You will notice that he never denied the allegations and branded Sharaf a coward for bringing them up.
Then came this eyebrow-raising response during a fight week interview:
He is not a gifted orator.
Old accusations are not the whole story. There was also some humility that came with Steveson’s joining the UFC roster. like Bo Nickal before him, Steveson speaks as if his wrestling accomplishments mean he already deserves a shot at the title. In fact, MMA requires everyone — including world-class wrestlers — to pay their dues, and fans are always upset when someone thinks they might be toeing the line. There is also Jon Jones of all this. Training with the sport’s most notorious sociopath is one thing, but Steveson straight up copied his manners.
It’s a repulsive combination.
What’s especially funny about this loss is that Steveson fell out while pulling away from the pocket, as Jones himself does all the time. The obvious difference, of course, is that Jones gained significant height and gained an advantage over almost every opponent he ever faced, while Steveson is 5’11. Confidence is essential in combat sports, but doesn’t a short wrestler think he can hit like “Bones” after a year in the cage? cross the line into arrogance?
In the end, the simple fact is that MMA was not Steveson’s first choice. After his wrestling career ended, Steveson failed to hack in both NFL and WWE before entering the cage. It’s understandable to look for the best financial opportunities first, but obviously cage fighting isn’t his true passion, which doesn’t sit well with fans.
Now we learn how deep Steveson’s commitment to the sport runs. He just caught cold in an embarrassing way. The loss encourages all the world’s heavyweights to think that they, too, can fight for Olympic gold. Steveson’s motivation was already questionable when he believed he was enjoying an easy jog to UFC gold. Now, the reality is likely to be years of hard work and fan vitriol and no guaranteed results.
Will Steveson commit to the task? i can think 160,000 reasons he would, but his personal history offers no such guarantees.
At worst, I can hear Power Slap always works.
Click through for full UFC 331 results and submissions here.
