UFC 331 delivered one of the most shocking moments in recent MMA history when Sean Sharaf knocked out Gable Steveson in just 12 seconds. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist entered the fight as a massive nearly -2400 betting favorite, only to get caught by a brutal left hook in the opening seconds and put to sleep.
What made the upset even more surprising was Sharaf’s record heading into the fight. He had yet to win inside the Octagon and was already 0-2 in the UFC. Steveson, meanwhile, had been training under Jon Jones alongside the likes of Greg Jackson, with many viewing the Olympic gold medalist as a potential future star in the heavyweight division.
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Now, some believe Steveson’s hype train has been completely derailed after such a disastrous loss. His manager, Abraham Kawa, clearly does not see it that way. Following the event, Kawa released a statement describing the UFC 331 setback as nothing more than a small bump in the road.
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Kawa also pointed to several UFC legends who suffered major setbacks during their careers, including Georges St-Pierre, Islam Makhachev, Demetrious Johnson and Daniel Cormier.
He wrote, “It’s ok that Gable got caught. It’s ok that he was booed. It’s ok his opponent talked shit. It’s ok that the world is kicking him when down. It’s the life he chose.”
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Kawa added, “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!”
There is some context missing from that comparison, though. While Makhachev, GSP and Cormier all suffered losses during their careers, their setbacks did not come against a fighter who entered the bout with a 0-2 UFC record.
Steveson made his Octagon debut in July, picking up a first-round knockout at UFC 329. He then made a quick turnaround for UFC 331, only to suffer a stunning 12-second knockout at the hands of Sharaf.
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His actions immediately after the loss also drew attention, as Steveson left the cage before Bruce Buffer could even announce Sharaf as the winner. Now, the former Olympic champion faces a very different chapter in his UFC career.
Whether he can bounce back from one of the most brutal losses of his career remains to be seen, but UFC 331 certainly changed the conversation around Steveson in a matter of seconds.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
