UFC 331 delivered one of the most shocking moments in recent UFC history as Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist entered the fight as a massive nearly -2000 betting favorite, only to be put to sleep by a brutal left hook in the opening seconds.
What made the upset even more shocking was Sharaf’s record coming into the fight. He had yet to win inside the Octagon and was already 0-2 in the UFC. Meanwhile, Steveson had been training under Jon Jones and alongside the likes of Greg Jackson, with many viewing him as a potential future star of the heavyweight division.
The lead-up to the fight had already gotten extremely personal, with many fans siding with Sharaf after Steveson’s 2019 criminal case was brought up during the press conferences. However, the Olympic gold medalist did not exactly help his case with his actions after the fight.
Following the knockout, Steveson quickly left the cage instead of staying for the traditional result announcement. After regaining consciousness, he did not wait for Bruce Buffer to announce the result. Before the referee could even raise Sharaf’s hand, Steveson walked out of the cage and headed out of the arena alongside Jon Jones.
Gable Steveson and Jon Jones just got booed out of the arena 😬 pic.twitter.com/XgcflQkIKs
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 20, 2026
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His decision immediately drew criticism from fans and fighters, with the likes of Dustin Jacoby and Julian Marquez calling him out for not showing his opponent the proper respect after the loss. Daniel Cormier also addressed the incident during the Paramount broadcast, branding Steveson a bitter loser.
Cormier said, “Gable made some mistakes in there, you know, you’re a 4-0 fighter, wrestle, you have to.”
He then added, “If you’re concussed, cry —I did it! There’s the truth! And also, you stand there, and you take your lick 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. You take your lick whenever it doesn’t go your way.”
The UFC Hall of Famer further said, “You cannot be a great winner and then an ungrateful loser, and I think that was bad from Steveson.”
Daniel Cormier criticized “ungrateful loser” Gable Steveson for leaving the cage after his loss:
“You let that man get his hand raised, and you stand there no matter how you feel.
You cannot be a great winner, but then an ungrateful loser.” 😬 #UFC331
pic.twitter.com/LBuVdaAaGO— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 20, 2026
Footage shared online showed Steveson immediately making his way out of Crypto.com Arena with Jones once the fight was over. The Los Angeles crowd also made its feelings clear, booing Steveson as he left the arena.
For Sharaf, the 12-second knockout was a career-changing moment. It became the third-fastest finish in UFC heavyweight history and finally gave him his first Octagon victory. For Steveson, meanwhile, it was the first defeat of his five-fight MMA career. Now, all eyes will be on how the Olympic gold medalist responds after suffering the biggest setback of his young MMA career.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
