Gable Steveson broke his silence about his arrest in 2019 on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct.
The matter was dropped that same year because of "inadequate evidence," the prosecutor who handled the case announced at the time. But the allegations resurfaced last week before and during UFC 331.
"I want to be clear: I did not do anything alleged," Steveson, 26, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, Sept. 22. " … I understand how serious allegations like this are, and I understand that people may have questions when they hear only part of a story."
Steveson’s opponent, Sean Sharaf, referred to Steveson as a "rapist" two days before their heavyweight fight. Shafar, who was a huge underdog entering the bout, knocked out Steveson in 12 seconds.
"I believe
the (matter) was raised to get in my head …" wrote Steveson, who won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Sharaf also called Steveson "Loophole." Sharaf appeared to be referring to Minnesota laws that, at the time of Steveson’s arrest, restricted how prosecutors could handle cases when the alleged victim had voluntarily consumed alcohol.
In the Instagram post, Steveson wrote, "My own attorney did their own investigation and stated on the record that even if the law was changed I would have had the same outcome, which now speaks for itself."
Boos directed at Gable Steveson
The crowd at a public news conference the week of Steveson’s fight at UFC 331 booed Steveson. The boos continued at UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles before and after Steveson got knocked out 12 seconds in his heavyweight fight.
"I know there are people who will never support me, no matter what I say or do," Steveson wrote. "That’s their choice. But I’m speaking to the people who know me not just as an athlete, but as a husband and a father to a young daughter."
Steveson, who entered the fight as a heavy favorite, left the Octagon before Sharaf’s hand could be raised in victory.
"As for my opponent, congratulations, you caught me," Steveson wrote. "A mistake on my end was made. It was your night. Just like my wrestling days after my loss, I came back with an undeniable will to win and focus that led me to the top of my sport."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gable Steveson breaks silence after allegations resurface during UFC 331
