Bad blood is brewing.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) super prospect and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson returns for his second Octagon appearance against Sean Sharaf at UFC 331 this weekend (Sat., Sept. 19, 2026) inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
And all of a sudden, the newly promoted main-card matchup has some heat behind it.
Earlier this month, Sharaf took issue with UFC content creator Nina Drama repeatedly featuring Steveson without giving him comparable attention.
The former Marine questioned the promotional imbalance before referring to Steveson as a “rapist” — a serious accusation tied to a 2019 sexual-assault allegation that did not result in criminal charges.
In June 2019, Steveson and then-University of Minnesota wrestling teammate Dylan Martinez were arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct after a woman reported a sexual assault.
Six months later, Hennepin County prosecutors announced that neither man would be charged. County Attorney Mike Freeman said there was “inadequate evidence to fairly charge and prosecute” the case, stressing that prosecutors must be able to prove criminal allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. Because no charges were filed, the allegation was never adjudicated at trial. Steveson’s attorney maintained that he was innocent.
Steveson did not respond to Sharaf’s comment at the time. However, when asked about the growing tension during UFC 331 media day (watch here), the two-time NCAA Heavyweight wrestling champion called his opponent’s decision to invoke the allegation cowardly.
“I’m here to win,” Steveson told reporters. “I’m not here to joke around. I’m not here to sh—t talk. I’m not here to be rude to anybody. I’m here to win and go home, and that’s my whole objective.
“I feel like a lot of this is directed toward [Sharaf]. If a guy is going to bring up certain things, that’s the coward coming out of him,” Steveson continued. “It’s a guy showing up of his own free will to say, ‘Hey, I’m a sacrificial lamb,’ and that’s what he’s going to be Saturday night.”
The timing of the suddenly heated rivalry could not be better for UFC. After Brian Ortega withdrew from his rematch against Renato Moicano, Steveson vs. Sharaf was bumped up to open the UFC 331 main card.
Both Heavyweights have also been added to Thursday’s UFC 331 press conference, giving them another opportunity to trade words before they can finally trade punches.
For the finalized UFC 331 fight card and Paramount+ lineup click here.
