Los Angeles — Sean Sharaf spent six years serving his country in the Marines, before working his way to the UFC. That’s a story he’s getting to tell a bit more of ahead of UFC 331, where he finds himself in a high-profile fight with Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.
“My blood is Palestinian, my father is from Jerusalem, he immigrated here as a refugee. I’m just here to represent and put on for my people,” Sharaf (4-2) said during Wednesday’s UFC 331 media day, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press.
His heritage means Sharaf is aware of what’s going on in the world, including the recent controversy surrounding musician Macklemore, who was cut from Ed Sheerhan’s tour for supporting a free Palestine.
“I saw it. I don’t keep up with everything. But he just said ‘Free Palenstine.’ It’s not a crime,” noted Sharaf. “We just don’t want to see women and children killed, legs amputated and bombed. Iraq and Afghanistan, a lot of the marines I served with, there’s rules of engagement. You can’t just bomb a building and kill everybody inside of it. You have to do your job as a professional, and take out the enemy, and leave as little civilian causalities as possible.”
“That’s all we’re saying, we just don’t want to see women and children killed.”
On the fighting front, Sharaf suspected he’d be fighting Gable Steveson all along. “I knew I was going to fight him, it was just a matter of time,” he stated. “I saw from the moment he had his first MMA fight, I knew it was a matter of time. He was going to be coming up, he was a hot prospect, and I’m going to take the hype.”
Asked whether he was impressed by the undefeated Steveson’s career to date, Sharaf said simply “No, I’m not impressed.”
“Everyone’s just all hyped, he’s an Olympic gold medallist, but this is fighting,” Sharaf noted. “We’re going to fight.”
Steveson won Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling in Tokyo in 2020. He went on to pursue a career in the WWE, before transitioning to MMA. The UFC signed him earlier this year; he defeated Elisha Ellison at UFC 329 to notch his first victory inside the octagon. The heavyweight is now 4-0, with none of his fights lasting more than a round.
“I get it, they’re going to push him, they’re going to promote him,” accepted Sharaf. “But I just wanted the same opportunity to promote myself and tell my story. And a lot of people have reached out, and they’ve been giving me that platform, so I appreciate that.”
Sharaf also told Cageside Press about how his time in the marines has helped him as a fighter. “Marines just know how to handle themselves under pressure, and this is what it’s all about. Being in the most stressful environments and being able to keep your cool. Calm, collected, back against the wall and finding away to finish the mission no matter what.”
Watch the full UFC 331 media day appearance by Sean Sharaf above.