Steveson's manager invokes GSP and Makhachev after shock 12-second UFC KO

Gable Steveson suffered the fastest and most damaging defeat of his young MMA career at UFC 331 on September 19, when Sean Sharaf knocked him out just 12 seconds into their heavyweight bout at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The loss dropped Steveson to 4-1 and ended what had been a heavily hyped sophomore UFC appearance in the worst possible fashion.

Steveson had entered the fight as a massive betting favourite and had spoken dismissively of Sharaf in the build-up, framing him as little more than a stepping stone on the road to a heavyweight title. The pre-fight atmosphere turned hostile, with the Olympic wrestling gold medallist booed loudly during the pre-fight formalities and again on fight night — a reaction sharpened by Sharaf’s pointed comments at the pre-fight press conference.

In the aftermath, Steveson’s manager Abraham Kawa of First Round Management took to Instagram to defend his client and project confidence in his long-term future. Kawa drew direct comparisons to some of the most decorated fighters in UFC history, all of whom absorbed early losses before going on to championship careers.

“It’s OK that Gable got caught,” Kawa wrote. “It’s OK that he was booed. It’s OK his opponent talked sh*t. It’s OK that the world is kicking him when down. It’s the life he chose. Islam got clipped. Arman (Tsarukyan) has lost. DJ has lost. GSP lost. DC lost. Jose Aldo lost. All went on to have absolutely legendary careers. We stand by our guy. He will be back real soon and he will be great!”

The names Kawa invoked carry genuine weight. Islam Makhachev, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier, Demetrious Johnson, and Jose Aldo are all either current champions, former multi-division champions, or UFC Hall of Famers — each of whom absorbed at least one defeat before defining their legacies.

Whether Steveson can follow a similar trajectory remains to be seen. At 4-1, he is still early in his professional career, but a 12-second knockout loss as a heavy favourite — accompanied by a hostile crowd — represents a significant setback to the narrative his team had been carefully constructing around him. Kawa’s message, at minimum, signals that Steveson’s camp has no intention of stepping back from the spotlight.