Steveson was handed his first pro defeat by Sean
Sharaf, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in
Ultimate Fighting Championship history. In his post-fight
statement, the Olympian addressed both the defeat and sexual
assault allegations stemming from his college years that resurfaced
during fight week.

Gable Steveson addresses Sean Sharaf upset and fight-week
allegations

Steveson and his teammate were arrested in connection with a sexual
assault allegation in 2019, but no criminal charges were ultimately
filed because of a lack of evidence. Sharaf repeatedly referenced
the allegations during fight week, turning fans against him, and
Steveson addressed those comments in a statement.

“This statement is for my family, my friends, my fans and the
people who truly know me and know the kind of man I am,†Steveson
wrote. “I know there are people who will never support me, no
matter what I say or do. That's their choice. But I'm speaking to
the people who know me not just as an athlete but as a husband and
a father to a young daughter.â€

Sharaf brought up the allegations during the pre-fight presser and
even gave Steveson the nickname “loophole,†which fans have carried
forward. The latter says he didn't commit the crime that fans are
attacking him for.

“Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years
was brought up by my opponent,†Steveson continued. “I believe it
was raised to get in my head but it also reopened something that
had been addressed years ago. I want to be clear — I did not do
anything alleged. I was never charged with a crime and he matter
was ultimately dropped by the district attorney. The allegations
were not ignored nor brushed aside. They were thoroughly and
heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement,
including a separate Title IX review. There were no criminal
charges, no conviction, and no finding of responsibility against
me. The matter was closed and there is no pending legal issue
involving me. My own attorney did their own investigation and
stated on the record that even if the law was changed, I would have
the same outcome, which now speaks for itself.â€

Steveson also directly addressed Sharaf's win, congratulating him
on the massive upset.

Van recently revealed that he used to flip tape of Dustin
Poirier to pick up techniques. He explains that he used to flip
the footage because he is orthodox while Poirier is a southpaw. Van
studies tape of other elite fighters like Ilia
Topuria, who have a boxing-based style like him. However, Van's
favorite fighter to study is fellow
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Petr Yan.

Joshua Van explains how Dustin Poirier, Petr Yan and Ilia
Topuria influence his striking

Van defended his title for the second time at UFC
331, putting his renowned boxing on display to defeat Alexandre
Pantoja in their rematch. “The Fearless†revealed in a recent
interview that he actively studies Yan's hands and incorporates
what he can into his own arsenal.

“He's got my style of fighting,†Van told Ariel Helwani. “He's a
boxing-based fighter, kind of like Petr Yan, Ilia. I like to study
one of the greats and just put it into my game… Petr Yan really is
the one that I really watch.â€

Van has emerged as a fan favorite for his fighting style. His next
challenger hasn't been revealed yet, with Manel Kape
being the frontrunner. Meanwhile, Yan is scheduled to defend his
title in a trilogy bout against Merab Dvalishvili at
UFC 333.

“I want to think God first. Thank God for my life, my health. I am in perfect health. 100 percent. I feel very well with the affection from all of you. So many amazing messages I received, and I want to express my special thanks. I didn't real all the messages; I'm still reading. There were so many amazing messages that I really felt very supported and embraced by you all, I had to stop to make this video.

“I was called a little over six weeks — exactly six weeks and four days — and I dedicated everything about myself in this camp. I dedicated myself. I know that apparently it was short time, but I felt ready to fight any opponent. I was doing great. I was confident and I delivered everything from me. I stayed away from my family, I was going through various situations, every day, my body couldn't take it anymore, but I put myself there.

“I arrived so confident in the fight that I wanted to go through everything for the first time. I didn't want a to knock out the fight in the first round. I wanted to overcome the things inside my head that I had sometimes been influenced by people, even so much talking and all. I wanted to prove myself that I was fine. So I wanted to defend all the takedowns. I didn't want a fast knockout. I wanted to go out there a better fighter. And I say the best meaning going through situations, not only to bring clarity to people but for myself, how much I am ready to do this. I know I'm ready, but knowing is not all you need to prove to yourself you are ready.

“I was 100 percent focused on performing, in passing all possible situation, and have an answer for them all. I was feeling really good in the fight. …

â€When I got that flash knockdown and felt his strength starting to fade. I felt the fight in my control. And when he got flash knocked down, I felt that his strength was breaking. I saw how much he felt it when I hit one elbow at the tip of the rib when he was defending reversal. So he was hurt, his eye was very closed. I would get a lot of punches up there, and I was sure I would finish the fight in the second round.

“An important thing to say is that the mistake was totally mine. It was my fault, my carelessness, and his merit. Arman is an excellent fighter.

“When the guys yelled at me that there were ten seconds left and he shot for my legs, that was actually the best thing for me. I thought, ‘He's going to spend a little more energy here. The second round is going to start, and I'll knock him out.'

“There were four seconds left, so I had strikes I could have thrown. I could have gotten away from the fence, but I didn't want to. I wanted to use that moment against him, and it was a good idea. I just got careless. I relaxed—relaxed on defense, which is I normally don't do. So I paid the price for that.

“So I want to apologize to my fans for the sadness of the loss. I know it's not easy to root for someone through a defeat, but guys, I'm learning. You've seen the evolution of each fight, and this fight was going very well. But I'm happy for everything that happened. It's difficult to deal with loss and all that, but it makes us grow.