Sean Sharaf only needed 12 seconds to make UFC history on Saturday night, becoming the largest outright underdog to score a victory in DraftKings history.
Sharaf, who was previously 0-2 in his UFC career, set the new record as a +1,200 pre-fight underdog.
Key Takeaways
- Sharaf sent Steveson clattering to the ground with a left hook after 12 seconds.
- Steveson was one of the most highly touted heavyweight prospects in recent memory.
- DraftKings’ odds implied that Steveson had a 96% chance of winning.
Sharaf was supposed to be an easy match for Gable Steveson, a 2020 Olympic Gold medalist in men’s freestyle wrestling and two-time NCAA Division I champion. The 26-year-old had won his only previous UFC bout in July and was 4-0 as a professional MMA fighter.
Sharaf, a 33-year-old former U.S. Marine, was 4-2 with four knockouts and two losses in his last two bouts. But while the oddsmakers believed that he was facing a real-life Goliath, he did not see the fight the same way.
Sharaf brought the fight straight to Steveson and threw a series of early strikes, including a left hook that instantly knocked his opponent out on his feet in just 12 seconds.
Sean Sharaf (+1200) was the biggest UFC upset in @DKSports history🤯 https://t.co/1uzBURH4Hg
— DK Insights (@DKInsights_) September 20, 2026
DraftKings Network confirmed that while Sharaf had odds of +1,200 (7.7% implied probability), Steveson was listed around -2,400 (96% chance). The fight had an over/under of 1.5 rounds, with -540 odds on the under. Steveson was also -500 to win by KO/TKO/SQ.
Additionally, DraftKings listed Steveson at +130 (43.5% chance) to win the fight by any means in the first round.
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All-time upset
Steveson’s excellent background as a wrestler made him a prime candidate to find success in MMA and the UFC. He was quickly earmarked as one of the best recent UFC prospects after all four of his professional fights ended in the first round, including a July 11 contest with Elisha Ellison that ended after 2:31.
Steveson also worked closely with UFC icon Jon Jones, who is often regarded as the best heavyweight of all time. A ringside camera showed Jones’ utter disbelief at the knockout blow, which left him frozen with his jaw wide open.
Jon Jones' reaction to Gable Steveson getting knocked out 🙁 #UFC331pic.twitter.com/zsV87Tlxth https://t.co/B43VwyUpR5
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 20, 2026
Neither man has an expected upcoming opponent. Sharaf helped his profile significantly by beating Steveson, one of the hottest prospects in the UFC, and should be matched with a quality opponent as he works his way up the heavyweight rankings. Steveson is likely to return to training to fix his striking defense so that a situation like the one that unfolded on Saturday doesn’t recur.
Steveson and Sharaf are both unranked in the UFC’s latest heavyweight rankings, which shows the division chasing new interim champion Ciryl Gane.
