Early retirement? Jon Anik doubts Gable Steveson reaches 10 UFC fights — ‘How do you regroup?’

UFC commentator Jon Anik is doubting whether Gable Steveson will reach 10 matches in the UFC following his devastating knockout loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331. The Olympic gold medalist, who entered the bout as a -2000 favorite, was knocked out in just 12 seconds, marking his first professional MMA defeat. Anik, speaking on Submission Radio, acknowledged Steveson's physical gifts and talent, but emphasized the mental and physical challenges he now faces after experiencing such a significant setback in his career.

The commentator, who predicted an "over-under 10 UFC fights" for Steveson before the Sharaf fight, now expresses uncertainty about whether the heavyweight prospect will reach that milestone. Anik stated, "How do you regroup?" and acknowledged that this loss could be a much larger challenge for Steveson than his initial opponent, Reinier de Ridder-Bo Nickal, whose bout went into a second round.

Despite promising that the loss will "catapult" him toward greatness, Steveson's next opponent might prove to be a "horrible, sloppy" challenge as he attempts to recover from this humiliating defeat.