Sharaf reveals Steveson's mid-camp wrestling detour convinced him the Olympian was ripe for an upset

Sean Sharaf knocked Gable Steveson unconscious in 12 seconds at UFC 331, producing one of the most startling heavyweight upsets in recent memory, and the former U.S. Marine has now revealed exactly what told him the Olympic gold medalist was there for the taking.

Sharaf (5-2) entered the bout as a heavy underdog and was, by his own admission, on the verge of being cut from the roster after back-to-back knockout losses in the UFC. Yet rather than feeling the pressure, he found a source of confidence in something Steveson (4-1) did during fight camp: competing in a Real American Freestyle wrestling match against Anthony Cassioppi at RAF 12, less than a month before their UFC clash.

“He did a wrestling match like the month prior, and that’s when I knew,” Sharaf told TMZ Sports. “He’s in fight camp and he’s going to do another event.”

For Sharaf, watching an opponent take on a separate competitive event so close to a UFC fight was a clear signal that Steveson was not treating him as a genuine threat. That read was reinforced by the way Steveson spoke about him publicly.

“I was on the chopping block,” Sharaf said. “Everyone was just like — he even said in his interview, ‘He’s a sacrificial lamb, he’s a coward, he’s looking for a way out,’ and I’m like, ‘Bro, I signed up for this, brother. I signed the contract. I am definitely going to show up on fight night and I’m definitely here to win.’”

The outcome validated every bit of that conviction. Sharaf landed the finishing blow inside the first quarter-minute, sending Steveson to the canvas and silencing any notion that the decorated wrestler was a foregone conclusion at heavyweight.

Reflecting on the lesson, Sharaf was direct about what the upset should communicate to the rest of the division.

“You can’t underestimate anyone,” he said. “He has two hands, he has two legs, he bleeds red and you can get touched, especially in the UFC.”

For Steveson, the loss is a significant setback as he continues to build his MMA record after a celebrated amateur wrestling career that included Olympic gold. For Sharaf, the win almost certainly buys him a longer run on the UFC roster — and a reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous outsiders.