Sean Sharaf pulled off a massive upset at UFC 331, delivering a 1st round knockout over Gable Steveson. Fans erupted on social media, as Steveson entered the fight as a significant betting favorite.
The build-up to the fight was far from cordial. Saraf brought up Steveson’s past during the pre-fight press conference, which led to a back-and-forth between them.
Steveson was also heavily booed during the press conference. As a result, there was a lot more buzz around the fight, as fans were clearly supporting the underdog.
During their opening exchange, Sharaf finished his combination with a powerful left hook that dropped Steveson. He followed up with ground strikes until the fight was quickly stopped by the referee at 12 seconds of the 1st round.
Fans React to Sean Sharaf’s Stunning Knockout Victory Over Gable Steveson at UFC 331
Fans immediately weighed in and shared their reactions to Sharaf’s knockout. Many fans praised Sharaf for proving the oddsmakers wrong. Other fans, meanwhile, took the knockout loss as an opportunity to sound off on Steveson.
“You love to see it. Cinematic [fire emoji],” wrote a fan on X.
“Well deserved. Good riddance, Gable,” LuckyMMA wrote on their X account.
“There goes that career. Sheesh Gable Steveson” wrote another fan on X.
“Most satisfying KO I’ve seen all year,” another fan wrote on X.
“Man, just goes to show you can be trained by the greatest but don’t mean it will go the same,” Another wrote. “I mean, I get how this can be like an upset with all the hype but man, it was only his 2nd UFC fight lol Not like Silva or Ronda being KOd finally or anything like that.”
Fans Blast Steveson for Leaving the Octagon Before the Official Decision
Fans also took aim at Steveson for his behavior after the fight.
Instead of staying in the octagon while the official decision was read, Steveson left the octagon. The Olympic gold medalist immediately went back to the locker room, which many fans felt was poor sportsmanship. Perhaps if he stayed in the octagon, accepted his defeat, and congratulated Sharaf, he would not have been criticized.
“He walked off before his hand was even raised, and that tells you everything you need to know,” a fan wrote on X in response to Steveson’s post-fight behavior.
“Send him out like a sore loser. Couldn’t stay humble in defeat. Probably quitting this too now? WWE, NFL, now UFC?” wrote a fan on X.
“Then Gable walks out before they announced the winner. Dude is a clown. Bye Felicia [waving emoji]” Another fan added on X.
“Gable not staying in the octagon for Sean’s hand to be raised pretty much shows how fake Gable is. If he was healthy enough to walk back on his own, he was healthy enough to stand there for that,” Wrote another fan on X.
Fans React After Sean Sharaf Stuns Gable Steveson at UFC 331: ‘Cinematic’