Sharaf landed a picture-perfect left hook just 12 seconds into the fight that put Steveson out cold
Gable Steveson was on the receiving end of a brutal mixed martial arts reality check when he was knocked out in seconds by Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 on Saturday.
Steveson, the former Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, was caught clean on the chin by a left hook from Sharaf. The shot sent Steveson crashing to the canvas, where follow-up shots from Sharaf made official what was already clear.
The knockout came just 12 seconds after the fight began. Steveson had opened with a leg kick, but reached his arms out to attempt to parry incoming punches, which Sharaf was able to loop over to connect with the fight’s only meaningful shot.
CBS Sports will also have live coverage of UFC 331 with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to keep you up to date throughout the night.
Sharaf had spent fight week telling anyone who would listen that he would defeat the -2400 favorite. He did just that with the third fastest heavyweight knockout in UFC history.
“I feel amazing,” Sharaf said after the fight. “I worked so hard. I prayed so hard. I believed in myself when nobody believed in myself.”
Steveson was believed to be the future of the heavyweight division, but he will be forced to go back to the drawing board after suffering one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
