Sean Sharaf’s path to UFC 331 ran through anonymity: unranked fights in Las Vegas and a stint sparring with Francis Ngannou, all building toward an 0-2 UFC start that put his roster spot in question. None of it quite prepared him for facing Jon Jones from across the cage, not as an opponent, but as an observer.
“I felt like I had absolutely nothing to lose,” Sharaf told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto after knocking out Gable Steveson in 12 seconds.
Jones, Steveson’s coach and mentor since he moved into MMA, was watching from ringside for the biggest fight of Sharaf’s career, one he entered off a two-fight UFC losing streak with his future in the promotion uncertain.
Treating The Fight Like A Final Exam
Sharaf told Okamoto he has studied Jones for eight years, and that having him at ringside turned the fight into something closer to a test than a booking.
“I’m looking at it like I’m taking an exam, like Jon Jones is going to be there front row to give me my final examination that I’ve been preparing for eight years now,” Sharaf said.
The exam lasted 12 seconds. Sharaf caught Steveson with a left hook after the Olympic gold medalist reached out to parry an incoming combination, closing out one of the biggest upsets in UFC history and the third-fastest heavyweight finish on record. The win moved Sharaf to 5-2 and snapped his 0-2 skid inside the Octagon.
Steveson’s camp is still processing the loss. Colby Covington has since urged Steveson to cut ties with Jones altogether, while Daniel Cormier criticized how Steveson left the cage afterward.
For Sharaf, the fight he had spent eight years studying for was over before he had time to think about the man watching from ringside.
