Gable Steveson’s manager invokes UFC legends after 12-second KO

Gable Steveson's manager has defended his client's sudden setback at UFC 331, invoking the early careers of UFC legends to frame the loss as a learning moment rather than a career-ending blow. On September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Steveson (4-1) suffered the first loss of his professional record when Sean Sharaf knocked him out with a devastating left hook just 12 seconds into their heavyweight bout—a stunning result that shattered Steveson's previously unblemished record and his pre-fight bravado.

Steveson had arrived at UFC 331 as a massive betting favorite at -2500 odds. The Olympic wrestler had made bold statements dismissing Sharaf as a mere stepping stone on his path to championship gold, fueling significant hype around his sophomore UFC appearance. However, the tide turned sharply in the fighter's direction. Sharaf matched Steveson's trash talk at the pre-fight press conference, while fans turned on the Olympian, booing him relentlessly at the ceremonial weigh-ins and during fight night.

Abraham Kawa of First Round Management has now rallied behind his fighter on social media, drawing parallels to setbacks suffered by current and former UFC champions. In an Instagram post, Kawa reminded followers that Islam Makhachev, Georges St. Pierre, Daniel Cormier, Demetrious Johnson, Arman Tsarukyan, and Jose Aldo all suffered losses early in their careers—yet all went on to legendary UFC tenures. "It's OK that Gable got caught," Kawa wrote. "We stand by our guy. He will be back real soon and he will be great!" The message underscores a common MMA narrative: early defeats, however painful, do not define a fighter's long-term trajectory or potential.