Topps Issues Sean Sharaf Card After 12-Second UFC 331 Knockout of Gable Steveson

Q: How did a 33-year-old former Marine shatter the UFC's biggest hype train in just 12 seconds to earn his first trading card?

Sean Sharaf did it by refusing to buy into Gable Steveson’s aura, then executing a simple, violent game plan perfectly. At UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Sept. 19, the 33-year-old former Marine from Santa Ana stormed out at the opening bell, threw a right hand and followed with a clean left hook that caught Steveson on the chin. Steveson went down, Sharaf added ground strikes, and the referee stopped it at 12 seconds. The upset was stunning because Steveson was one of the UFC’s most heavily promoted young heavyweights — an Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champion who entered unbeaten in pro MMA. Sharaf, by contrast, was a double-digit betting underdog, had only two prior UFC appearances, and had lost both. But Sharaf said he treated the fight like any other, insisting before and after that he did not put Steveson “on a pedestal.” Sharaf’s background helps explain the poise. He served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, turned pro in MMA relatively late in 2021, and built his early record on quick knockouts. Even after his rough UFC start, he kept faith in his preparation and punching power. Afterward, he said he had doubted himself after those losses but trusted his work, his team and his belief that he could “shock the world.” He did exactly that. The finish became the third-fastest heavyweight stoppage in UFC history and instantly changed Sharaf’s profile — enough for Topps to turn the moment into his first official trading card.

1 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Sep 21

Topps said Monday it will release Sean Sharaf’s first official trading card, built around his 12-second knockout of Gable Steveson at UFC 331.
That card follows one of the fastest heavyweight finishes in UFC history, a result that abruptly flipped expectations for Steveson, who entered as a heavy favorite.
Sharaf had fought only 2 UFC bouts before the matchup and had largely flown under the radar, making the win a breakout moment for the heavyweight.
The upset also dents the momentum of Steveson, who had been viewed as one of the UFC’s more promising recent prospects.

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Bleacher Report9h ago

Topps Releases Sean Sharaf Trading Card After 12-Second UFC 331 Knockout of Gable Steveson

Will the Topps card commemorating this shocking 12-second heavyweight upset become one of the most valuable rookie cards in MMA history?

How did a 33-year-old former Marine shatter the UFC's biggest hype train in just 12 seconds to earn his first trading card?

After a humiliating 12-second defeat and fleeing the octagon, can the heavily hyped Olympic gold medalist ever rebuild his shattered MMA career?

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Bleacher Report9h ago

Topps Releases Sean Sharaf Trading Card After 12-Second UFC 331 Knockout of Gable Steveson

Topps Issues Sean Sharaf Card After 12-Second UFC 331 Knockout of Gable Steveson

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