Sean Sharaf Blitzes the UFCs Golden Goose

Sean Sharaf pulled off one of the biggest and best upsets in UFC history when he took a mere 12 seconds to knock out Gable Steveson at UFC 331. Earning himself a $50k bonus (which was matched by Dana White), Sharaf did what no one believed he could do.

Notching the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history, Sharaf took the hype that Steveson had and stamped all over it.

A fantastic win, his first in the UFC, but deep down, the UFC brass won't like it.

Sean Sharaf Ruins Gable Steveson

Pre-Fight

The tarnishing of the Gable Steveson brand was low-hanging fruit for any opponent, but Sharaf saw the opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. Not only did he slam him online previously, but he also doubled down on branding Steveson a "rapist" at the pre-fight press conference. 

Casual fans may not have been aware of Steveson's murky past, but it's hard to ignore when Sharaf openly calls him out for it. It turned fans against the Olympic gold medalist this week, something the UFC were likely not expecting.

Fight and Post-Fight

The fight began and saw Steveson land a good low leg kick. He was typically light on his feet and looked to land a jab, which Sharaf slipped to the inside and looked to counter with a straight right. Sharaf then followed this up with a left hook, which instantly knocked Steveson out. A few ground-and-pound shots were landed for good measure, but weren't wholly necessary; Steveson was already out.

For context, Sharaf was 0-2 in the UFC and 4-2 overall. He was a setup; he was put in there to lose and for Steveson to get another win within two months. It blew up in the UFC's face.

Hype gone in 12 seconds. 

The post-fight antics of Steveson massively hurt his brand. He's young but needs to be humble. He lost fair and square and needs to take his loss like a true athlete. But no.

He refused to stand and take his loss and left the octagon to a chorus of boos from the crowd, and rightfully so. Some of the most bitter rivalries have ended with both men standing in the octagon with the victor having their hand raised. Steveson refused.

Daniel Cormier slammed Steveson for doing this, stating, "You let that man get his hand raised, and you stand there no matter how you feel... You cannot be a great winner, but then an ungrateful loser".

Gable Steveson's stock has plummeted... and rightfully so.