Abe Kawa, the manager of UFC heavyweight fighter Gable Steveson, reacted after this client was knocked out at UFC 331.
In one of the most shocking upsets in MMA history, Sean Sharaf knocked out Steveson in just 12 seconds as a +1000 betting underdog, with Steveson losing as a -2500 betting favorite.
It was an incredible win by Sharaf, who proved, once again, that you can never count anyone out in this sport, particularly in a weight class like heavyweight, where one punch can end everything.
Manager Reacts to Gable Steveson’s Loss
Taking to his social media after UFC 331, Kawa shared his reaction to Steveson’s defeat against Sharaf.
“It’s ok that Gable got caught. It’s ok that he was booed. It’s ok his opponent talked (expletive). It’s ok that the world is kicking him when down. It’s the life he chose. Islam got clipped. Arman has lost. DJ has lost. Gsp lost. Dc lost. Jose Aldo lost. All went on to have absolutely legendary careers. We stand by our guy. He will be back real soon and he will be great!” Kawa wrote on his Instagram.
What Will Gable Steveson Do Next?
After such a devastating defeat, the curious thing is how Steveson is going to rebound after losing for the first time in mixed martial arts.
We know that Steveson is an elite athlete who has all the tools to make a run up the heavyweight ladder, but he showed his inexperience against Sharaf as he was caught with a massive left hook right out of the gate and knocked out cold in just 12 seconds.
Given the ferocity of this knockout, one would imagine Steveson will take the rest of the year off. When he returns in 2027, the UFC will likely give him someone who is less of a knockout threat, as he can’t afford to get knocked out again, especially in the fashion that he was stopped against Sharaf.
Steveson is still an elite heavyweight prospect, but as this loss against Sharaf showed, he still has a lot of work to do before he becomes a top contender in the weight class.
Manager Reacts to Gable Steveson Losing at UFC 331