LOS ANGELES – UFC heavyweight Sean Sharaf didn't mince words when addressing Gable Steveson's past arrest for suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct.
Sharaf (4-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) takes on Steveson (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the main card of UFC 331 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena (Paramount+). While Steveson's 2019 arrest has largely gone unmentioned by his previous opponents, Sharaf took it upon himself to bring it up in the most direct way possible.
In the days ahead of the fight, Sharaf directly called Steveson a "rapist" in the replies to a UFC Instagram post collaborated with social media influencer Nina Drama. At the UFC 331 pre-fight press conference, Sharaf stood behind those comments – and doubled down – when seated on stage just a few feet
away from Steveson.
A reporter asked Sharaf about his feelings toward Steveson, which prompted the most publicly direct, unfiltered comments on Steveson's past sexual misconduct allegations.
"I don't dislike the guy, nobody likes a rapist," Sharaf said. "This guy raped a woman in 2019, and that's why everyone's booing him. You can't do that sh*t. It's wrong."
Steveson, 26, did not address the validity of Sharaf's claims and instead offered a cool-headed rebuttal, suggesting Sharaf already knows he will lose when they meet inside the octagon.
"He's already lost by saying that," Steveson replied. "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 it should be a great opportunity to go against Gable Steveson."
The back-and-forth continued as Sharaf questioned Steveson about turning down a fight at UFC Freedom 250, which took place on the White House lawn in Washington DC. Steveson denied being offered a fight for that event, which prompted Sharaf to refer to Steveson by a nickname that was born online.
"OK, 'Loophole'," Sharaf said.
Steveson dismissed Sharaf's words while questioning the reaction of the fans in attendance.
"That's a great name," Steveson said. "I see a lot of people cheering, but we'll see how many people cheer when he gets flatlined Saturday night."
Why was Gable Steveson arrested in 2019?
Steveson was arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct in June 2019.
Steveson and fellow University of Minnesota wrestler Dylan Martinez were arrested after a woman reported she had been raped and went to a hospital for treatment.
The Hennepin County (Minn.) attorney's office said it reviewed the allegations against Steveson and Martinez, but could not bring charges due to all criminal cases needing to meet a standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Alcohol may have also been involved, and under Minnesota laws on intoxication and a victim's ability to give consent, the office was restricted in how it could bring forward charges.
Both Steveson and Martinez were suspended from the wrestling team due to the arrests, but did not face any charges.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 331's Sean Sharaf unloads on Gable Steveson for past sexual assault allegations
