Gable Steveson plans to wipe out Sean Sharaf in brutal fashion at UFC 331.
Steveson (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling and arguably the brightest prospect in MMA, had more fuel added to his fire ahead of Saturday's card at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (Paramount+) when Sharaf (4-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) brought up his controversial history.
Steveson, 26, was arrested in June 2019 on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct following an alleged incident at the University of Minnesota. Criminal charges were never filed, but Sharaf referred to the unbeaten heavyweight as a "rapist" in a social media post.
It clearly didn't sit well with Steveson, who responded at Wednesday's UFC 331 media day.
"I feel like if guys are going to bring up
certain things, it's a coward coming up out of him," Steveson told MMA Junkie and other reporters. "It's a guy that's showing up for his own will and to say, 'Hey, I'm a sacrificial lamb.' And that's what he's going to be Saturday, and we will show the world once again that Gable Steveson is going to keep upgrading himself and keep being the best he can possible be."
Similar to his promotional debut at UFC 329 in June, which resulted in a first-round knockout victory, Steveson is a massive betting favorite going into the upcoming clash with Sharaf. He intends to back up the wide odds and leave with his perfect record in tact.
"I treat every opponent the same whether they're the best or the worst," Steveson said. "Go out there and pick them apart and dominate them. I'm here to win. I'm not here to joke around. I'm not here to sh*t talk. I'm not here to be a rude person to anybody. I'm here to win and go home and that's my whole objective."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Gable Steveson: Sean Sharaf 'a coward' for going personal before UFC 331
