Sean Sharaf had all the confidence in the world he’d beat Gable Steveson at UFC 331, even if the rest of the world wasn’t as convinced.
Depending where you looked, the oddsmakers had Sharaf around a 12-to-1 underdog to beat Steveson, with the expectation that the Olympic and NCAA wrestling star would have an easy night. Much has been written about Steveson having the tools to be a future UFC heavyweight champion, while Sharaf was winless in two appearances for the promotion.
Sharaf needed just 12 seconds to pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history as he caught Steveson with a pair of punches in the punches in the opening round that knocked him out cold. Later in the evening, Sharaf spoke to reporters about his unbelievable voictory.
Have you thought about how your life will change
“No, honestly, it really hasn’t,” Sharaf said when asked if it had hit him yet how much Saturday’s win could change his life. “I was just treating this like every other fight. I don’t put anyone on a pedestal.
“He has two hands, two legs, and he bleeds red, so I guess I shocked the world, but I haven’t felt any different. I’m definitely getting more interviews, that’s for sure, but that’s about it.”
Sharaf drew plenty of attention during fight week as he openly spoke about Steveson’s troubled past. When Steveson was wrestling for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, he was arrested in 2019 due to suspicion of sexual assault. Steveson was not criminally charged to a lack of sufficient evidence.
Whether it was because of Sharaf bringing the arrest to light or Steveson being overhyped, he was met with a chilly reception from fans in Los Angeles, and things will likely only get worse for Steveson when he was caught leaving the octagon before the official result was read. For Sharaf’s part, he didn’t make much of the snub.
“Yeah, I saw him leaving, but I was thinking about this before the fight,” Sharaf said. “I was 4-0, I was undefeated when I had my first loss in the UFC and he just had his first loss. It makes you better. You’re going to take a look back and you can’t underestimate people. You can’t think you’re untouchable and you’re just going to run through people.
“I think he’s going to go back, he’s going to get better. He’s got a hell of a lot of talent, so I’m sure you guys see him again.”
Even Sharaf couldn’t have predicted he’d silence Steveson so quickly, but for the most part, his first UFC win came in exactly the manner he’d hoped for.
“I told you the game plan was hit, don’t get hit, leave with a bag full of cash,” Sharaf said. “Everyone thought I was joking, but no, I’m just grateful. I’m so grateful, I prayed so hard, I believed in myself, my team believed in me and I’m just so happy. I’m so happy for this moment.”
