Dana White reacts to Gable Steveson's stunning UFC 331 loss, Steveson leaving the cage early
Steveson's handling of Saturday's shocking upset loss drew heavy criticism from both fans and fellow fighters alike.
On Saturday night, UFC 331 saw Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medal wrestler, suffer a shocking defeat to Sean Sharaf in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Steveson, who entered the fight as a -2500 favorite, was knocked out in just 12 seconds by Sharaf, who was a 10-to-1 underdog.
UFC CEO Dana White, asked about Steveson's loss in the post-fight press conference, admitted he was not surprised by the result. "Anything is possible when two guys get in there and start fighting," White responded. "You never know how a fight's going to go. That's why people always ask me, 'Oh, what do you think? Is this guy going to fight this guy after Saturday? Let's see what happens on Saturday. I don't know what the fight's going to look like."
Steveson, making his second appearance in the Octagon, left the cage early after regaining consciousness, drawing heavy criticism from fans and fellow fighters. White recalled Forrest Griffin's similar behavior after his victory at UFC 148 in 2012, stating that such reactions are common when fighters are under immense pressure.
For Sharaf, the win was his first in the Octagon after suffering two consecutive knockout losses. He remains 5-2 overall. In his post-fight press conference, Sharaf remained respectful despite pre-fight trash talk, stating that Steveson's loss will only make him stronger.
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