Sharaf accuses UFC of favouring Steveson over ex-Marine ahead of UFC 331 clash

Sean Sharaf has taken aim at the UFC over what he sees as preferential promotional treatment for his upcoming opponent Gable Steveson, with the two fighters scheduled to meet at UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The dispute was sparked by a series of Instagram collaborations between Steveson and UFC content creator Nina Marie Daniele, known as Nina Drama. Sharaf, a 4-2 veteran and former United States Marine, left a pointed comment beneath the latest video. “This is like the 4th collab they do with him, what’s up with that UFC guess Marines aren’t worthy of interviews just r**ists,” he wrote.

The comment references a 2019 incident in which Steveson and his teammate Dylan Martinez were arrested on charges of sexual assault. Both men were subsequently released without criminal charges after prosecutors cited a lack of evidence. Steveson went on to claim gold in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics before transitioning to MMA.

Steveson has moved quickly through the UFC ranks, arriving with three first-round finishes and adding a stoppage of Elisha Ellison in the first round of his promotional debut this past July, taking his record to 4-0. Sharaf’s path has been more turbulent. He entered the UFC as an undefeated prospect with four first-round finishes of his own, but has since suffered back-to-back knockout losses inside the organisation, leaving him at 4-2.

The public callout adds a sharp personal edge to what was already a meaningful matchup. For Sharaf, a win over the Olympic champion and UFC-promoted prospect would represent a significant career reset; for Steveson, it is another step in building a profile the UFC appears eager to amplify. Whether the organisation responds to Sharaf’s criticism before fight night remains to be seen.