Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight prospects Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf will collide this weekend (Sat., Sept. 19, 2026) inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., for UFC 331.
Steveson is quite possibly the best prospect in the entire sport. An Olympic gold medalist in a weak division trained
by Jon Jones? It’s hard not to see a championship title in his future, and yet, we’ve see hype trains implode catastrophically over the years.No man is immune to the dreaded “fraud check.”
Is Sharaf the man to pull off the upset? “The Smoke” has yet to score a win in two trips to the Octagon, and he hasn’t exactly been facing the cream of the crop. As a result, he’s in position to score a monumental upset … or get smashed in the attempt!
Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
Steveson vs. Sharaf Betting Odds
- Gable Steveson victory: -2500
- Gable Steveson via TKO/KO/DQ: -350
- Gable Steveson via submission: +500
- Gable Steveson via decision: +2000
- Sean Sharaf victory: +900
- Sean Sharaf via TKO/KO/DQ: +2200
- Sean Sharaf via submission: +3000
- Sean Sharaf via decision: +3500
- Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
How Steveson Wins
It goes without saying that Steveson could likely take down any opponent in the division if he really put his mind to it. With world-class wrestlers, the problems generally arise in holding opponents down and managing the gas tank, two areas where Steveson has yet to be tested. On the feet, Steveson is a vicious offensive force, though his defense is wide open.
One of the nastiest combinations of skill in mixed martial arts (MMA) is a wrestler who can kick well. The premier example, of course, is Jones, who found quite a bit of success by stymieing his opponents with a mix of distance kicking and close-range wrastlin.’ Based on Steveson’s debut performance, the 26-year-old super talent is following in his mentor’s footsteps, because he toe-stabbed his opponents belly a dozen times in half a round.
That’s the kind of offense that differentiates him from a slugger like Sharaf on the feet. Very few Heavyweights can take stabbing kicks to the stomach like that without collapsing in a fatigued heap. If Steveson doesn’t want to wrestle right away — which is undoubtedly the safest path to victory — then kicking his opponent at distance until he wants to go home is another safe bet.
How Sharaf Wins
Sharaf is a brawler. The big man has decent hands, but he’s struggled defensively thus far. In addition, his cardio hasn’t held up particularly well, though that’s hardly a rarity amongst unranked Heavyweights.
Is there any objective reason to believe in a Sharaf upset? He only has six pro fights; it’s not like he’s some veteran likely to take the wrestler into deep waters. Sharaf doesn’t even like deep waters himself! The bright side is that Sharaf at least has power, which gives him a chance.
Given the overwhelming odds against him, Sharaf would be well-advised to keep it simple. He has to knock out Steveson, but that doesn’t mean he has to swing for the fences with every punch and exhaust himself. If he can press forward confidently without getting reckless, he can probably convince Steveson to exchange with him in the center of the Octagon.
At least hope is alive in that situation.
Steveson vs. Sharaf Prediction
Be serious.
