Gable Steveson’s Manager Issues Statement Following Shocking UFC 331 KO Loss
Abe Kawa, the manager of Gable Steveson, released a statement Sunday addressing the Olympic gold medalist's stunning 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331.
· VILLAND PICK editorial
Gable Steveson was on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in UFC history on Saturday, suffering a brutal 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf on the UFC 331 main card. Steveson entered the bout as a massive -2400 betting favorite, but an early exchange saw Sharaf land a clean counter left hand that immediately put the Olympic gold medalist to sleep. Sharaf was awarded $100,000 in bonuses for the performance.
On Sunday, Steveson’s manager, Abe Kawa, issued a statement defending his client and maintaining that the loss is only a bump in the road. Kawa compared Steveson to the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Islam Makhachev, and Arman Tsarukyan, noting that all three bounced back from early setbacks to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Kawa added that it is acceptable for critics to kick Steveson while he is down, stating, "All went on to have absolutely legendary careers. He will be back real soon, and he will be great!"
Beyond the quick knockout, Steveson has faced significant backlash from the combat sports community regarding how he handled his first career MMA defeat. Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier and a host of other past and present fighters publicly criticized Steveson for his post-fight conduct.
Sources
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