Gable Steveson got hit with a verbal grenade before he ever stepped inside the Octagon with Sean Sharaf. During the UFC 331 press conference, Sharaf flat-out called the former WWE star a “rapist” while dragging Steveson’s 2019 sexual assault accusation right back into the spotlight.
Sharaf was asked what he thought about Steveson as boos came pouring in from the crowd. Instead of giving some safe fight-week answer, Sharaf went straight for the ugliest controversy attached to Steveson’s name.
“I don’t dislike the guy. Nobody likes a r*pist. This guy r*ped a woman in 2019, and that’s why everyone is booing him. You can’t do that sh*t, it’s wrong.”
That accusation comes with some major context. Steveson and University of Minnesota teammate Dylan Martinez were arrested in 2019 on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct, but prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges, saying there was not enough evidence to fairly prosecute the case.
This also isn’t the first time Steveson has been forced to address those accusations. When the story resurfaced after he signed with WWE, Steveson personally issued a statement to Ringside News addressing the sexual assault allegations and pushed back on people attacking his character over a case that never resulted in criminal charges. Steveson told Ringside News at the time that the accusations had followed him for years and made it clear that he wanted people judging him on more than what they had read online.
“One of the challenges for me personally especially over the past several months/years has been reading the criticisms and attacks on my character by people who don’t know me personally and my values. No charges were ever brought by anyone and the entire episode has been difficult for everyone involved … Going forward people who don’t know me will hopefully see that kindness, respect and empathy are virtues I take very seriously in my life.”
That old controversy was suddenly sitting right in front of Steveson again Thursday, but he wasn’t interested in reliving the entire case on stage. Instead, he turned the heat right back on Sharaf and said his opponent already sounded like someone looking for an excuse before the fight even started.
“He’s already lost just by saying that. He’s a coward. He’s already looking at the way out. He’s looking at the way out of this opportunity. He’s here because of me, and this should be a great opportunity to go against Gable Steveson.”
That exchange took a heavyweight fight and made it personal as hell. Sharaf went after Steveson with one of the most serious accusations possible, while Steveson responded by basically saying Sharaf already cracked before they even got locked inside the cage together.
Steveson comes into UFC 331 after quickly building momentum in MMA following the end of his WWE run. Ringside News previously covered Steveson destroying Elisha Ellison with a first-round knockout in his UFC debut, and now Sharaf gets the next shot at stopping him.
His jump to UFC came after WWE moved on from the Olympic gold medalist following a run that never came close to matching the massive expectations placed on him. Ringside News also covered Steveson officially signing with UFC and getting his debut date as he shifted his focus fully toward fighting.
Now Steveson’s second UFC fight has a whole different kind of heat attached to it. Sharaf took an accusation Steveson directly addressed with Ringside News years ago and threw it right back in his face, while Steveson refused to back down and called him a coward for even going there.
The bell hasn’t even rung yet, but Sharaf already made sure this thing is about a whole lot more than wins and losses. Steveson has spent years trying to move past the 2019 case, and now one sentence from his opponent has dragged the entire controversy back onto the biggest stage of his fighting career.
What did you think of Sean Sharaf bringing up Gable Steveson’s 2019 sexual assault accusation at the UFC 331 press conference? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
