A former UFC champion has some advice for Gable Steveson after his KO loss to Sean Sharaf at UFC 331.

This past weekend, Sharaf knocked out Steveson in just 12 seconds and recorded the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history. “The Smoke” handed Steveson his first pro-MMA loss and ruined the 26-year-old’s plans of fighting for the heavyweight title in 2027.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 19: Sean Sharaf knocks out Gable Steveson in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 331 event at Crypto.com Arena on September 19, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Steveson left the octagon a few minutes after being knocked out instead of staying to watch his opponent’s hand get raised. He was booed by the crowd on his way back to the locker room with Jon Jones. Steveson’s decision not to stay back has drawn criticism from many, including Daniel Cormier, who believes the former should have remained to show respect, accept the defeat, and learn how to handle losses. Many have also questioned Steveson’s corner for not advising him to remain inside the octagon until “The Smoke” got his hand raised.

Steveson also faced backlash from fans worldwide during fight week after his opponent, Sean Sharaf, brought up his controversial past.

Israel Adesanya’s message for Gable Steveson

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has advice for Gable Steveson after the UFC 331 brutal KO loss. “The Last Stylebender,” during a sit-down with Demetrious Johnson, advised Steveson to ‘log off, stay off the internet, keep training, remain in the gym, and stay with his circle.

“He was already like a villain this fight, and by the crowd’s response and also by his allegations or convictions or whatever. And now after this, he is gonna just have to weather the storm, weather the storm, just f*cking log off, bro. People are gonna do all that stuff. Don’t let that affect you. But then, when you log off, just be in the gym, be around your people… Keep training, man. Keep training. You cannot let these kinds of things derail you.”

Check out Israel Adesanya’s comments below:

Subham

Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.