Sean Sharaf pulled off a colossal upset at UFC 331, knocking out Gable Steveson 12 seconds into their heavyweight bout Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Sharaf clocked Steveson with a left hand to earn the third-fastest finish in UFC heavyweight history. Steveson suffered the first loss of his MMA career.
Steveson was a -2400 betting favorite going into the fight, according to the broadcast.
It’s power but as I say it’s made possible by defensive flaws. Stevenson reaches with jab then pulls back from rt. & into left hk. Bad technique. Sharaf was set with feet to deliver! Bang Bang!!🧨👏#ufc331 pic.twitter.com/6qAqObY0Aq
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) September 20, 2026
Steveson, a former collegiate wrestling champion and Olympic gold medalist, stepped into the Octagon for the second time, falling to 1-1 in the promotion and 4-1 as a professional.
UFC legend Jon Jones, who trains Steveson in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in disbelief after Steveson's knockout loss:
JON JONES REACTION TO GABLE STEVENSON BEING GETTING KNOCKED OUT COLD#UFC331 pic.twitter.com/d0G1Ewijai
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) September 20, 2026
Steveson was booed by the crowd after leaving the cage before the official decision was read.
The Los Angeles crowd BOOS Gable Steveson mercilessly as he leaves the arena. 😳 #UFC331 pic.twitter.com/gNJcub5oBG
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 20, 2026
The 26-year-old made his highly anticipated debut at UFC 329 in July, knocking out Elisha Ellison in the first round.
Sharaf picked up his first UFC victory, improving to 1-2 in the promotion and 5-2 as a pro. The 33-year-old made his Octagon debut in 2024 and lost to Junior Tafa and Steven Asplund before scoring an all-time upset against Steveson.
