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MMA Newsvia MMA Fighting

Gable Steveson Knocked Out in 12 Seconds as Jon Jones Watches

Sean Sharaf finished the Olympic wrestling gold medalist in seconds at UFC 331, with mentor Jon Jones stunned in his corner.

Illustration: a fighter on the canvas, another fighter standing over him, a third fighter in the background
Illustration by Open Scoring MMA. Generated art, not a photograph, and not a likeness of any real fighter.

This is an Open Scoring MMA News Alert.

Gable Steveson's rocky start in the UFC got worse on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The 2020 U.S. Olympic wrestling gold medalist was knocked out by Sean Sharaf in just 12 seconds at UFC 331, a first round finish by punch that barely gave the crowd time to settle into their seats.

Both MMA Fighting and ESPN covered the finish, and our own tracker confirms the same result: Sharaf improves to a win over Steveson by KO/TKO punch in round one at 0:12, while Steveson drops to a loss by the identical method and time. It was only Steveson's second fight inside the Octagon.

What made the moment sting even more was who was watching. Jon Jones, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC light heavyweight champion, was in Steveson's corner for the fight. The two have built a close relationship as Jones has mentored Steveson through his move from decorated amateur wrestler to heavyweight prospect, and MMA Fighting's cageside video showed Jones visibly stunned as Steveson hit the canvas.

For Steveson, the loss is a jarring setback in a transition that had generated plenty of buzz given his wrestling pedigree. Turning Olympic level grappling into finished MMA skill was always going to take time, and a 12 second knockout on a night with Jones literally standing behind him only sharpens the questions about how quickly he can adjust at this level.

For Sharaf, it is a statement. This quick finish against a high-profile opponent is the kind of result that puts him on people's radar fast.

What comes next for Steveson, and whether Jones stays this hands on in his corner, is the story worth watching now.

Sources (2)

We summarise the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work.

This story ran in the September 20, 2026 edition of the daily show.