Sean Sharaf’s 12-second knockout of Olympic champion Gable Steveson at UFC 331 came with a story almost as surprising as the victory itself. The Marine Corps veteran revealed that he was $600,000 in debt, had been sleeping on an air mattress, and had even developed a gambling problem after moving to Las Vegas in the hope of running into UFC president Dana White.
White recently learned about the reason behind Sharaf’s gambling and had a memorable reaction.
During the post-event press conference following Dana White’s Contender Series Week 7, White was asked about Sharaf’s recent comments and his admission that he had accumulated much of his debt through gambling.
When he was told that Sharaf had moved to Las Vegas partly because he hoped to encounter White at a casino, the UFC president couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“[ ] just told me when we were walking in here, I said, ‘That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,'” White said.
White then offered a blunt assessment of Sharaf’s situation.
“But yeah, that’ll do it to you. That’ll do it to you. Welcome to Vegas.”
The exchange came after Sharaf opened up about his financial struggles during an appearance on Michael Bisping’s podcast. The heavyweight explained that his $600,000 debt had accumulated through several sources, including years spent competing on the regional circuit without sponsors, options trading and gambling.
“I was filing bankruptcy this year and going to start over fresh,” Sharaf told Bisping and co-host Paul.
Sharaf’s gambling story was particularly unusual. After moving to Las Vegas, he began gambling while hoping to cross paths with White in the casino’s high-limit room.
“I did run myself into a lot of debt. When I first moved out to Vegas before I got signed, I started gambling. I was trying to meet Dana at the High Limit Room,” Sharaf explained, admitting that it was “not the best way to get signed.”
The situation had left Sharaf in an extremely difficult position heading into his match with Steveson. While the Olympic wrestling gold medalist reportedly received $160,000 in show money, Sharaf joked about the stark difference in their financial circumstances.
He said, “His base money was $160,000. So, he would have gotten $320,000 if he won. I was like, can I match?”
Despite his financial problems, Sharaf entered the match with plenty of confidence. He had been preparing specifically for a potential matchup with Steveson since the White House Night was first discussed, even though Steveson had initially turned him down as an opponent.
Sharaf had also been preparing for other matches during that period, including a scheduled bout with Tai Tuivasa that was eventually cancelled after he broke his nose. When the Steveson opportunity finally came together, Sharaf felt the timing was almost too perfect.
“I believe in the law of attraction, the manifestation and all that, but now more than ever,” he said, explaining that he and his mother had prayed for the opportunity.
There was also plenty of pressure on Sharaf going into the match. Having already suffered two consecutive losses in the UFC, he knew another defeat could potentially spell the end of his run with the promotion.
“If I lose this one, I’m probably getting cut,” Sharaf admitted.
Instead, he produced the biggest win of his career, knocking out Steveson in just 12 seconds.
Sharaf’s preparation was also unconventional considering the credentials of his opponent. Although he knew he would have to deal with one of the greatest wrestlers in Olympic history, Sharaf admitted he wasn’t particularly accomplished in wrestling himself.
“I wrestled in high school, but I didn’t even make it to CIF. I wasn’t the best wrestler,” he revealed.
His coaches ultimately told him not to overthink the wrestling threat.
“Don’t respect the wrestling too much. Just put hands on this guy,” Sharaf recalled.
That approach worked almost immediately.
The victory has since changed Sharaf’s circumstances dramatically. The heavyweight said he now has a PR team handling his growing number of interview requests and is receiving advice about finding professional help to manage his newfound financial opportunities.
Sean Sharaf’s 12-second knockout of Olympic champion Gable Steveson at UFC 331 came with a story almost as surprising as the victory itself. The Marine Corps veteran revealed that he was $600,000 in debt, had been sleeping on an air mattress, and had even developed a gambling problem after moving to Las Vegas in the hope of running into UFC president Dana White.
White recently learned about the reason behind Sharaf’s gambling and had a memorable reaction.
During the post-event press conference following Dana White’s Contender Series Week 7, White was asked about Sharaf’s recent comments and his admission that he had accumulated much of his debt through gambling.
When he was told that Sharaf had moved to Las Vegas partly because he hoped to encounter White at a casino, the UFC president couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“[ ] just told me when we were walking in here, I said, ‘That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,'” White said.
White then offered a blunt assessment of Sharaf’s situation.
“But yeah, that’ll do it to you. That’ll do it to you. Welcome to Vegas.”
The exchange came after Sharaf opened up about his financial struggles during an appearance on Michael Bisping’s podcast. The heavyweight explained that his $600,000 debt had accumulated through several sources, including years spent competing on the regional circuit without sponsors, options trading and gambling.
“I was filing bankruptcy this year and going to start over fresh,” Sharaf told Bisping and co-host Paul.
Sharaf’s gambling story was particularly unusual. After moving to Las Vegas, he began gambling while hoping to cross paths with White in the casino’s high-limit room.
“I did run myself into a lot of debt. When I first moved out to Vegas before I got signed, I started gambling. I was trying to meet Dana at the High Limit Room,” Sharaf explained, admitting that it was “not the best way to get signed.”
The situation had left Sharaf in an extremely difficult position heading into his match with Steveson. While the Olympic wrestling gold medalist reportedly received $160,000 in show money, Sharaf joked about the stark difference in their financial circumstances.
He said, “His base money was $160,000. So, he would have gotten $320,000 if he won. I was like, can I match?”
Despite his financial problems, Sharaf entered the match with plenty of confidence. He had been preparing specifically for a potential matchup with Steveson since the White House Night was first discussed, even though Steveson had initially turned him down as an opponent.
Sharaf had also been preparing for other matches during that period, including a scheduled bout with Tai Tuivasa that was eventually cancelled after he broke his nose. When the Steveson opportunity finally came together, Sharaf felt the timing was almost too perfect.
“I believe in the law of attraction, the manifestation and all that, but now more than ever,” he said, explaining that he and his mother had prayed for the opportunity.
There was also plenty of pressure on Sharaf going into the match. Having already suffered two consecutive losses in the UFC, he knew another defeat could potentially spell the end of his run with the promotion.
“If I lose this one, I’m probably getting cut,” Sharaf admitted.
Instead, he produced the biggest win of his career, knocking out Steveson in just 12 seconds.
Sharaf’s preparation was also unconventional considering the credentials of his opponent. Although he knew he would have to deal with one of the greatest wrestlers in Olympic history, Sharaf admitted he wasn’t particularly accomplished in wrestling himself.
“I wrestled in high school, but I didn’t even make it to CIF. I wasn’t the best wrestler,” he revealed.
His coaches ultimately told him not to overthink the wrestling threat.
“Don’t respect the wrestling too much. Just put hands on this guy,” Sharaf recalled.
That approach worked almost immediately.
The victory has since changed Sharaf’s circumstances dramatically. The heavyweight said he now has a PR team handling his growing number of interview requests and is receiving advice about finding professional help to manage his newfound financial opportunities.
Additionally, the financial windfall from the victory also gave Sharaf a chance to do something deeply personal. After earning a $50,000 MobLand bonus for the knockout, Dana White handed him another $50,000 for the finish, putting $100,000 in extra bonus money in his hands.
Despite revealing that he was $600,000 in debt and had been preparing to file for bankruptcy, Sharaf’s first thought wasn’t about clearing his own financial problems. He wanted to use the money to help his mother retire.
“She’s got Asthma, she’s got a pacemaker, she’s got so many health problems, she has sciatica right now. I just want to help her retire, so I am really hoping to get a bonus so that I can give that to her and take some time off work, it would be great,” Sharaf told Megan Olivi before receiving the bonus.
When Olivi asked what he wanted to do next, he didn’t mention celebrating or spending the night with his new-found wealth.
“I just want to call my mom. She was so worried about me. She’s been praying so hard for me. I just want to take a moment to appreciate the moment,” he said.
