Steveson's Manager Invokes Makhachev After KO Loss

Gable Steveson's manager has drawn comparisons to UFC champions who bounced back from early defeats after the Olympic wrestler suffered a 12-second knockout loss at UFC 331.

Steveson was stopped by Sean Sharaf in the opening moments of their heavyweight bout on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, according to Sherdog. The former NCAA champion entered as a heavy favourite but was caught early in what marked the first professional MMA loss of his career.

Manager Cites Makhachev, St-Pierre Defeats

First Round Management's Abraham Kawa posted on Instagram that the result was just a temporary setback for his client, listing multiple UFC legends who suffered losses before going on to dominant careers. "Islam got clipped. Arman has lost. DJ has lost. GSP lost. DC lost. Jose Aldo lost," Kawa wrote, per the report. "All went on to have absolutely legendary careers. We stand by our guy. He will be back real soon and he will be great."

Steveson had made bold claims before the fight, reportedly dismissing Sharaf as a stepping stone toward championship contention. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist was booed during pre-fight formalities and on fight night itself, with Sharaf taking verbal shots at him during the press conference.

Steveson's record now stands at 4-1 in professional competition. No timeline has been announced for his return.

Reported via:

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