Matt Brown plays Devil's advocate for Gable Steveson after his first MMA and UFC setback

Gable Steveson recently found himself on the wrong end of a vicious KO defeat as well as an ensuing barrage of criticism over his MMA striking skills in particular. 

Matt Brown, a former UFC welterweight star who gained widespread acclaim for his ferocious striking prowess, has now addressed Steveson's conundrum. "The Immortal" appears to have played Devil's advocate for the heavyweight prospect, suggesting that his MMA skill set mustn't be judged too harshly for his swift knockout loss. 

Gable Steveson's first MMA and UFC setback

Gable Steveson notched the gold medal in the 125 kg category in the sport of freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That was followed by his foray into American Football as well as scripted professional wrestling-based sports entertainment in the WWE. 

The Minnesota wrestling standout eventually found a home in the sport of mixed martial arts. He made his UFC promotional debut with a thunderous first-round KO victory against Elisha Ellison at UFC 329 in July. It preceded his most recent Octagon outing, which was a clash against Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 on September 19. 

Steveson ended up suffering his first defeat in the UFC organization and his MMA career overall, as Sharaf knocked him out within 12 seconds. 

Matt Brown comes to Gable Steveson's defense, cautions against judging his MMA potential off swift defeat

A number of fight fans and experts soon weighed in on Gable Steveson's stunning loss, with many expressing their surprise over it because he'd long been hailed as a future UFC heavyweight champion. 

On one hand, observers asserted that Steveson's success in wrestling notwithstanding, his overall MMA arsenal and striking toolset in particular aren't developed enough for him to operate in the UFC. 

On the other hand, there are more than a few commenters who have played Devil's advocate for him after the devastating defeat, affirming that he shouldn't be written off after just one defeat. 

MMA fighter-turned-analyst Matt Brown seems to be in the latter group. The striking savant responded to an X post, which indicated that one needs a certain amount of craziness and ruggedness to succeed as a fighter, and merely being a great athlete isn't enough. 

Brown seemingly concurred but cautioned that Steveson's 12-second defeat doesn't necessarily mean that he lacks those qualities. He wrote: 

"I've said same thing many times but truth is a 12 second ko doesn't say anything about whether he has fight in him or not. It will be shown over time." 

I’ve said same thing many times but truth is a 12 second ko doesn’t say anything about whether he has fight in him or not. It will be shown over time

— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) September 28, 2026