Sean Sharaf has revealed how he used Conor McGregor and Jon Jones’ mental warfare tactics before locking horns with the latter’s protege and close friend, Gable Steveson, at UFC 331.

Sharaf was on a 2-fight losing skid before facing Steveson. However, despite being a massive underdog, it took “The Smoke” just 12 seconds to send Steveson to the shadow realm and shock the world.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 19: Gable Steveson reacts after a knockout defeat against Sean Sharaf 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)

Sean Sharaf explains how studying Jon Jones and Conor McGregor has helped him evolve into a better fighter

After the massive knockout win, Sean Sharaf revealed on the WEIGHING IN Podcast how he used mind games to get under Gable Steveson’s skin. For context, Sharaf brought up Steveson’s controversial past during the presser, after which the 26-year-old faced criticism from fans worldwide and was also heavily booed.

After the heated presser, during the UFC 331 faceoff, Steveson avoided looking at his opponent. He later turned off the comments on his social media posts.

When a fighter is affected by trash talk, they can let their emotions take over inside the cage, and that did not work out well for the 2020 Summer Olympic gold medalist.

Fans have seen how effective Conor McGregor and Jon Jones‘ trash talk has been in the past and how it has affected their opponents mentally. At UFC 331, “The Smoke” once again showed that fights can be partially won even before stepping inside the octagon. The 33-year-old said:

“Another part is psychological warfare. I’ve studied Jon Jones, and you saw Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. That is a real thing. You say something before the fight, and if it irks somebody the wrong way, they’re not gonna be thinking as level-headed.”

Check out Sharaf’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.