How long will Gable Steveson stick around after suffering one of the most humiliating and biggest upsets in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history?
That is the question UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik is asking after Steveson was knocked unconscious by Sean Sharaf in just 12 seconds at UFC 331 last month inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Advertisement
Steveson entered the matchup as an astronomical -2000 betting favorite following his dominant UFC debut win over Elisha Ellison (watch highlights). Instead, the Olympic gold medalist ate the first clean left hand Sharaf threw and crashed face-first into the canvas, suffering his first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) loss.
Now, Anik wonders how the heavily hyped prospect will respond to a level of failure he has rarely experienced throughout his decorated athletic career.
“Gable is now having to deal with an experience that a lot of athletes on his level just haven’t had to deal with,” Anik told Submission Radio. “It’s one thing if maybe he got knocked out late in this fight, and even with the Reinier de Ridder-Bo Nickal fight, it did go into a second round. This dude got flatlined and knocked out in 12 seconds. So, how do you regroup?
“I think he leans on everything mentally, physically and his God-given talent that has gotten him to this position,” Anik continued. “I still believe if Gable Steveson gets to 10 UFC fights, he’s going to realize a ton of success.”
Advertisement
The biggest question, however, is whether Steveson will remain committed long enough to reach that point.
After watching Steveson destroy Ellison in his Octagon debut, Anik set the over-under for the former NCAA Division-I national champion’s UFC career at just 10 appearances. Even before the Sharaf disaster, Anik was not convinced Steveson would reach that number.
Now, he is even less certain.
“But after his UFC debut, which went well, I went on our podcast and said, ‘Over-under 10 UFC fights for Gable,'” Anik said. “I’m not sure he actually gets to 10 fights. This is an appreciable setback. So, I’m as curious as anybody to see how he responds from this, but it’s a big deal, and this is not the easiest thing from which to come back.”
Advertisement
Steveson, 26, owns a 4-1 professional record and still possesses the elite wrestling pedigree and freakish athletic ability that made him one of UFC’s most celebrated Heavyweight prospects. Nevertheless, those physical gifts cannot erase the image of Sharaf flattening him with the first punch he landed.
Steveson has already promised that the loss will not define him, writing that the setback will “catapult” him toward greatness.
Getting back inside the Octagon will be the first test. Making it to UFC fight No. 10 could be the much bigger one.
He might have his next “horrible, sloppy” opponent, though.
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
