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.

Sharaf (5-2) was a massive underdog going into his
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout against
Gable
Steveson at UFC
331, where he recorded a 12-second knockout in a historic
upset. He revealed before the bout that he was in heavy debt.

Sean Sharaf discusses ‘crazy' ways he blew up money to end up
in debt

Sharaf earned a $50,000 promotional bonus from Paramount+ for his
win over Steveson. Dana
White added $50,000 of his own to double Sharaf's bonus, while
revealing that the UFC heavyweight was $600,000 in debt.

Sharaf recently revealed how he gradually came under massive debt.
The former U.S. Marine admits to making terrible financial
decisions like buying a truck he couldn't afford. Sharaf also
started gambling when he first moved to Las Vegas in the hope of
meeting White, who frequents casinos.

Sharaf eventually had to borrow money from his mother. He took an
advance from his management company for UFC 331 so that he could
train in Vegas, as he lives with his mother in California now.
Sharaf barely has any assets in his name and banks regularly keep
hounding him. However, his life will hopefully change after his
last win, considering he plans to consult a financial advisor
now.

“I just made a lot of very crazy financial decisions,†Sharaf told
ESPN MMA. “So, I had a TRX I couldn't afford. Blew $120,000 on that
thing. I was trying to help my mom sometimes. But more times I
actually had borrowed money from her. I got an advance on my purse
from my management so I could have my camp in Vegas… I gambled a
lot of money when I first moved to Vegas. I was trying to meet
Dana… I don't have anything in my name. The banks call you every
single day… I think I'm getting a financial advisor.â€