Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson suffered the first defeat of his professional mixed martial arts career Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, getting knocked out by Sean Sharaf just 12 seconds into their heavyweight bout at UFC 331.
The stunning finish sent shockwaves through the arena and left corner mentor and retired two-division UFC champion Jon Jones frozen in disbelief.
Sean Sharaf Delivers Historic Upset at UFC 331
The magnitude of the result caught oddsmakers and fans entirely off guard. Steveson was listed at major sportsbooks as high as a -1800 favorite, while Sharaf entered the Crypto.com Arena bout as a massive underdog searching for his first UFC win after winless in his previous two Octagon appearances. From the opening bell, Sharaf pressured Steveson against the cage. During the first exchange, he noticed the former Olympian drop his guard to parry a jab and countered with a powerful left hook that sent Steveson crashing to the canvas. Referee Frank Trigg waved off the action at the 12-second mark after Sharaf landed a few follow-up shots to seal the deal. The knockout stands as the third-fastest knockout in heavyweight history. Marine who entered the night winless in his previous two Octagon appearances and listed as more than a 10-to-1 underdog at several sportsbooks, the performance secured the definitive breakthrough of his professional career.
Jon Jones and Corner Reactions Go Viral
Cameras immediately panned to Jon Jones, who stood directly in Steveson’s corner alongside veteran trainers Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson. Jones, who has worked closely with Steveson throughout his transition to MMA and served as his primary coach and mentor since the wrestler joined his New Mexico camp after helping Jones prepare for his 2024 heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic, stared blankly into the cage with his jaw dropped.
“Oh my God”
Jackson quickly leaned over to whisper something in his ear while medical personnel tended to the fallen prospect. Steveson eventually rose to his feet and began talking to his corner and the officials who came to check on him. However, he left the Octagon before Bruce Buffer could announce the official result, clearly devastated by the loss and drawing boos from the Los Angeles crowd. Multiple fighters criticized Steveson on social media for the early exit, with one writing he had lost all respect for that dude,
according to MMA Fighting.
Rebuilding After First Professional Defeat
The setback halts an otherwise meteoric combat sports trajectory for the 26-year-old athlete. Steveson transitioned to MMA in 2025 on the heels of a decorated amateur wrestling career that saw him capture gold at the 2020 Olympic Games at just 21 years old. Steveson also became a two-time NCAA Division I national champion and two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, the award given annually to collegiate athletics’ top wrestler.
He made his UFC debut in July with a two-minute stoppage of Elisha Ellison and entered Saturday’s fight with a 4-0 professional MMA record with four first-round knockouts. Saturday’s defeat drops his professional record to 4-1 while evening his promotional ledger at 1-1.
Steveson remains one of the most credentialed athletes ever to enter MMA, but now faces his first real adversity inside the cage. Jones will be tasked with helping the 26-year-old rebuild after a defeat nobody saw coming.
