Steveson breaks silence after 12-second KO loss and fight-week assault allegations

Gable Steveson has spoken publicly for the first time since suffering a 12-second knockout loss to Sean Sharaf in the UFC — a defeat widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the promotion’s history — while also responding to sexual assault allegations from his college years that his opponent used as a psychological weapon during fight week.

Sharaf, who repeatedly referenced the allegations in the build-up to the bout and gave Steveson the nickname “loophole” at the pre-fight press conference, landed the finishing blow inside a quarter of a minute to hand the Olympic wrestling champion his first professional defeat. The nickname has since been adopted by sections of the fanbase.

In a written statement, Steveson addressed his supporters directly. “This statement is for my family, my friends, my fans and the people who truly know me and know the kind of man I am,” he wrote. “I know there are people who will never support me, no matter what I say or do. That’s their choice. But I’m speaking to the people who know me not just as an athlete but as a husband and a father to a young daughter.”

Steveson and a teammate were arrested in connection with a sexual assault allegation in 2019. No criminal charges were filed, with the district attorney ultimately dropping the matter due to a lack of evidence. Steveson says he also underwent a separate Title IX review and cooperated fully with law enforcement throughout.

“I want to be clear — I did not do anything alleged,” Steveson wrote. “I was never charged with a crime and the matter was ultimately dropped by the district attorney. The allegations were not ignored nor brushed aside. They were thoroughly and heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement. There were no criminal charges, no conviction, and no finding of responsibility against me. The matter was closed and there is no pending legal issue involving me.”

He added that his own legal team conducted an independent investigation and concluded, on the record, that the outcome would have been the same even under any change in the law.

Despite the circumstances surrounding the bout, Steveson closed his statement by congratulating Sharaf on the victory, acknowledging the scale of the upset without qualification.