Rising UFC heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson reacted to his upcoming matchup at UFC 331 against Sean Sharaf.
Steveson battles Sharaf in a heavyweight contest at UFC 331, which takes place on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. It’s Steveson’s second UFC bout after he knocked out Elisha Ellison in a successful Octagon debut at UFC 329 in July.
Gable Steveson Reacts to Sean Sharaf Booking
Speaking to Mike Heck of MMAFighting.com, Steveson shared his initial thoughts on the Sharaf booking for his second UFC fight.
“I’m happy about this. I’m the one who chose to fight again early. I could have fought at MSG (UFC 334 on November 14) and waited through that time, but I wanted to be competitive and wrestle, and then fight again, and then fight again after that. With my opponent, Sean Sharaf, a big guy who’s not really mobile, can’t really stop a takedown, who wants to go out there and brawl and eat a lot of punches — I expect him to come out there the best he possibly can, but I feel like there’s no avenue for him to even compete,” Steveson said.
Gable Steveson a Massive Favorite at UFC 331
According to the betting odds, Steveson is a massive betting favorite to defeat Sharaf at UFC 331.
Steveson is a -1500 betting favorite to win this fight, with the comeback on the underdog Sharaf at +600.
While Sharaf does have some big power in his hands, so does Steveson, and Steveson is by far the superior grappler
If he can land a takedown early in this fight, it could be over quickly, as it would be difficult for Sharaf to get back to his feet once Steveson is on top of him.
That being said, Steveson’s UFC debut against Ellison wasn’t exactly a flawless performance.
While he did win the fight via first-round knockout, he took some damage early in the fight from Ellison. If he fights like that going forward against the heavy hitters of the UFC heavyweight division, then Steveson could be in big trouble, as there are fighters out there who won’t let him off the hook.
Gable Steveson Reacts to Sean Sharaf Matchup at UFC 331