Sharaf was a massive underdog going into his
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout against
Steveson at UFC
331. He knocked Steveson out cold in 12 seconds in a monumental
upset and has since revealed that he knew the Olympian was
underestimating him, which only motivated him further.

Sharaf says Steveson’s RAF 12 wrestling match during UFC camp
lit a fire under him

Sharaf recently revealed that a specific moment made it certain
that Steveson was looking past him. Steveson (4-1) defeated Anthony
Cassioppi in a wrestling match at RAF 12, less than a month before
his fight against Sharaf. When Sharaf saw Steveson doing side
quests during fight camp, he knew that the Olympic gold medalist
was overconfident.

“He did a [Real American Freestyle] match,†Sharaf told TMZ Sports.
“He did a wrestling match like the month prior, and that's when I
knew. He's in fight camp and he's going to do another event.â€

Meanwhile, it was a do-or-die matchup for Sharaf (5-2), having been
knocked out in both of his previous UFC bouts. While he knew that
he was being considered a stepping stone for Steveson, the former
U.S. Marine was determined to win.

“I was on the chopping block,†Sharaf added. “Literally, everyone
was just like, he even said in his interview, ‘He’s a sacrificial
lamb, he’s a coward, he’s looking for a way out,' and I’m like,
‘Bro, I signed up for this, brother. I signed the contract.' I am
definitely going to show up on fight night and I’m definitely here
to f*cking win.â€

Sharaf then doubled down on his advice to never underestimate an
opponent, especially at the highest level.

“That’s another lesson, like, bro, you can’t underestimate anyone.
Like I said, he has two hands, he has two legs, he bleeds red and
you can get touched, especially in the UFC.”

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder was recently
involved in yet another accident. Strickland claims his friend was
driving when their ATV flipped over and rolled six times. He wasn't
wearing a helmet, leading to minor scratches on his head and
shoulders.

Sean Strickland escapes major injury after six-roll ATV
accident

While the two-time champ didn't suffer any major injuries, he
admitted he was in a “bad place†after the accident.

“Guys, I'm in a real bad place,†Strickland said on Instagram. “Aw,
f*ck. I let my buddy drive; he rolled us going, like, 60. We
rolled, like, six times. That was from my head smacking the ground
while going 60; I did not have a helmet on. I'm an idiot. [Shows
scrapes on shoulder and head] That was just from rolling and
smacking the concrete and the dirt. F*ck, I'm in a real bad place
right now. I think I'm just going to lay here and take a nap for a
little bit. Just a little shuteye. A little shuteye will do right.
Just sleep it off.â€

Strickland (31-7) revealed in a follow-up post that his friend lost
consciousness after the incident and was taken to the hospital. He
says he was having the most fun he has had in a long time before
meeting with the accident. While the accident cost Strickland quite
a bit, his sponsor, Rainbet, has promised to cover the cost.

“I think I'm OK,†Strickland said. “Chris Cornell went unconscious
for a little bit, so he's in the hospital, but I think he's going
to be alright. He just went asleep for a little bit, but honestly,
the most f*cking fun I've had in a very, very long time. My
wallet's a little sore. Rainbet did say they'd cover it, so that
was nice. That was the most fun thing I've done in a very long
time. I hope Chris is OK. I've never seen anybody go unconscious
before; that was interesting.â€

This was Strickland's second accident within a week, after he fell
off his dirt bike a few days earlier. Strickland also had a major
motorcycle accident in 2018 that left him inactive for nearly two
years. Notably, he's rumored to be defending his title in December
in a rematch against Nassourdine
Imavov, but his latest accident might force a change.

PFL CEO John Martin announced Tuesday that he's stepping down.
Martin's decision comes hardly a month after PFL merged with

Most Valuable Promotions. Martin had assumed the role of CEO of
the merged brand.

John Martin steps down as PFL-MVP CEO and backs Nakisa Bidarian
to lead next

Martin also said MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian is likely to take
over after him.

“After an incredible year and the successful combination of PFL and
MVP, I've made the decision to step down as CEO of the combined
company,†Martin announced on Instagram. “I'm enormously proud of
what this team has accomplished and couldn't have more confidence
in what comes next. Nakisa and I worked closely together to bring
these companies together, and I believe he is the natural person to
lead this next chapter. I'm grateful to the entire team and Board
for their partnership, and I'll be cheering for MVP as both a
former executive and a fan.â€

A flyweight
title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in on Saturday, Oct. 16 at
11 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Martin took charge as PFL CEO after former CEO Peter Murray and
chairman Donn Davis departed in July 2025.