UFC heavyweight Gable Steveson knocked out in 12 seconds by Sean Sharaf
Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson suffered a 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at a UFC event in Los Angeles, marking one of the fastest knockouts in heavyweight history.
Olympic gold-medalist and former NCAA wrestling champion Gable Steveson was defeated by Sean Sharaf in a 12-second knockout during a UFC heavyweight bout in Los Angeles on Saturday. The loss, recorded as one of the quickest knockouts in UFC heavyweight history, ended Steveson's second professional fight and removed him from the main card.
Steveson, who entered the UFC in 2024 after a successful amateur wrestling career, had been promoted to a main-card slot despite limited MMA experience. Sharaf, also a recent UFC entrant, landed a straight right hand followed by a left hook that rendered Steveson unconscious before referee Frank Trigg intervened.
The fight occurred amid renewed public attention to a 2019 sexual assault allegation involving Steveson while he was a student at the University of Minnesota. No criminal charges were filed, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s office cited the accuser’s blood-alcohol level as a factor in the decision not to prosecute. The allegation resurfaced in pre-fight press coverage, with Sharaf commenting on the case during a press conference.
Steveson was signed by UFC president Dana White earlier this year and was mentored by former champion Jon Jones. The rapid promotion to a high-profile bout has drawn scrutiny following the knockout loss.