Sean Sharaf: Gable Steveson Looked Past Me Before UFC 331 KO

Sean Sharaf pulled off a monumental upset at UFC 331 when he knocked out Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson cold in just 12 seconds. Entering the heavyweight bout as a heavy underdog, Sharaf (5-2) recently revealed that he knew Steveson (4-1) was looking past him well before they met in the Octagon.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, as reported by Sherdog, Sharaf explained that a specific moment made Steveson's overconfidence apparent. Less than a month prior to UFC 331, Steveson competed in a wrestling match at RAF 12, defeating Anthony Cassioppi. Seeing his opponent take on outside obligations during fight camp gave Sharaf all the insight he needed.

"He did a wrestling match like the month prior, and that’s when I knew," Sharaf said. "He’s in fight camp and he’s going to do another event."

In contrast, the matchup was a must-win situation for Sharaf, who had been knocked out in both of his previous UFC appearances. Aware that the public and his opponent viewed him as a stepping stone, Sharaf channeled the perceived slight into motivation. "I was on the chopping block," Sharaf said.

"Literally, everyone was just like, he even said in his interview, 'He's a sacrificial lamb, he's a coward, he's looking for a way out,' and I'm like, 'Bro, I signed up for this... I signed the contract. I am definitely going to show up on fight night and I'm definitely here to f*cking win.'"

Following his rapid victory, Sharaf emphasized the danger of taking any opponent lightly in mixed martial arts. "That's another lesson, like, bro, you can't underestimate anyone," Sharaf said. "Like I said, he has two hands, he has two legs, he bleeds red and you can get touched, especially in the UFC."