Daniel Cormier, Joe Rogan Criticize Gable Steveson After UFC 331 KO Loss

Gable Steveson saw his undefeated MMA run come to a sudden halt on Saturday night at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old freestyle wrestling Olympic gold medalist entered the heavyweight contest as an overwhelming favorite, but was caught and knocked out by Sean Sharaf, who entered the bout with an 0-2 record in the Octagon.

Following the knockout, Steveson rose from the canvas and walked out of the cage before the official decision, drawing criticism from UFC commentator Daniel Cormier. "Also, you stand there and you take your licks whenever you lose," Cormier said after UFC 331 ended. "You let that man get his hand raised and you stand there no matter how you feel.

But you take your licking whenever stuff [doesn’t go your way]. You cannot be a great winner but then an ungrateful loser and I think that was bad by Steveson."

Joe Rogan also broke down the finish, suggesting that the surrounding hype affected the prospect. "I think the odds and the hype got to his head and he felt he couldn’t be beaten," Rogan said. "He stood there flat-footed and Sean just uncorked a picture-perfect left hook.

He dipped and then hooked and caught him on the chin. It was one of the greatest storybook, Cinderella stories. It has to be without a doubt the biggest odds ever."

Cormier added that opponents in the Octagon would not simply defer to Steveson's wrestling accolades. "The reality is he’s new to this and Sharaf had no respect for him," Cormier said. "Gable’s an Olympic champion and maybe people expect other people to respect that but they’re not going to. He went in there to knock Gable Steveson out and he did."