Sean Sharaf Says He Was the ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ Before Stealing Gable Steveson’s Spotlight

Sean Sharaf entered as a heavy underdog against massive betting favorite Gable Steveson. Although Jon Jones’ protege was a betting favorite, the fans were on Sharaf’s side due to Steveson’s past controversy. 

While everyone expected Sharaf to lose against the Olympic gold medalist, he turned the tables. It took only 12 seconds for Sharaf to knock out Steveson at UFC 331. Now, Sharaf believes he has taken Steveson’s place. 

Sean Sharaf Believes He Has Replaced Gable Steveson

The two-time NCAA champion Gable Steveson was undoubtedly one of the most hyped heavyweight prospects in the UFC. Meanwhile, Sharaf came into the fight with two straight losses under his name. 

Now, the ex-Marine believes he has taken Steveson’s spot. While discussing his next opponent on an episode of the Double Coverage podcast, Sharaf said, "I just pulled off the biggest upset in MMA history. I feel like I won a world title right now, so I'm not looking at, Oh, get a top 15 opponent.”

"That was supposed to be their guy. They were talking about, 'He'll be world champion next year.' He was supposed to be fighting at MSG. So I guess that's me now. I was supposed to be the lamb to the slaughter," Sharaf said while talking about Steveson. 

No doubt Sharaf pulled one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. He receives all the praise for it. However, it all started even before the fighters entered the cage. 

Sharaf Played Psychological Warfare Against Steveson

While Gable Steveson dealt with fans' boos in the lead-up to the fight, Sharaf capitalized on the moment. He took shots at the 26-year-old, highlighting his past controversies. 

Sharaf later admitted it was deliberate. He also admitted that legends like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones inspired him in his psychological warfare attempts. 

Sharaf didn’t even know his fight was bumped up to the main card until Brian Ortega got injured. Everything worked in his favor this time. It will be interesting to see how his UFC career goes from here.