Sean Sharaf needed only one punch to change his UFC career. The former Marine landed a left hook that knocked out Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in 12 seconds at UFC 331 on Saturday night, then left Los Angeles with an unexpected $100,000 bonus from Dana White.

As detailed by Bloody Elbow, Steveson entered the heavyweight fight at Crypto.com Arena as one of the biggest favorites on the card. Some sportsbooks had the Olympic wrestling champion listed around -2500, while Sharaf was available at roughly +1000 or longer. Sharaf had also lost both of his previous UFC fights, making the result even more surprising.

The fight barely had time to develop. Steveson moved forward in the opening seconds, but Sharaf found his target with a clean left hook that landed flush and immediately put Steveson on the canvas. The referee stepped in after 12 seconds, giving Sharaf his first UFC victory and handing Steveson the first professional MMA loss of his career.

Sharaf Had A Rough Financial Situation

Sharaf entered the UFC with a 5-2 professional record and had finished all four of his previous wins in the first round before joining the promotion. He then suffered back-to-back knockout losses in his first two UFC appearances, leaving him without a victory inside the Octagon until Saturday. The win over Steveson moved him to 6-2 as a professional and gave him his first UFC finish.

The former United States Marine was emotional during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I’m not surprised, motherf—s! I feel amazing. I worked so hard, I prayed so hard. I believed in myself when nobody believed in myself. I want to thank you all for your support,” Sharaf said.

The win also changed Sharaf’s financial situation, although it did not solve it. He told reporters after the fight that he is carrying more than $600,000 in debt and intends to file for bankruptcy. Multiple reports said Sharaf had been struggling financially while trying to build his MMA career, including difficulties covering everyday expenses during his time on the UFC roster.

“I’m about to file bankruptcy this year,” Sharaf said during his post-fight media availability. “I’m so far in debt, it’s not even funny.” He has also spoken about wanting to keep fighting while helping his family, including his mother, as he tries to build a more stable future through MMA.

White decided to add to the payday after seeing Sharaf pull off one of the biggest upsets of the UFC year. Before UFC 331, White had announced a one-night $50,000 “Proper Chaos” bonus connected to the Paramount+ series MobLand. White personally chose Sharaf for the award after the 12-second knockout.

“They did a MobLand bonus tonight for $50,000,” White said at the post-fight news conference. “That’s going to Sean, and I’m going to match for another $50,000, so he gets $100,000.”

White then addressed Sharaf’s debt after hearing how much money the fighter owed. “Somebody said he’s $600,000 in debt,” White said. “We are knocking out $100,000 off the $600,000.” White then added, “There you go. Congrats to him.”

The California State Athletic Commission listed Sharaf’s disclosed UFC purse at $60,000, made up of a $30,000 show purse and a $30,000 win bonus. That figure does not include the separate $100,000 MobLand-related payment, giving Sharaf $160,000 in disclosed fight earnings and special bonus money from the event.

Steveson, who trains with former UFC champion Jon Jones, entered the fight with a 4-0 professional record after making the move from wrestling to MMA. The loss ended that unbeaten run and gave Sharaf the biggest win of his career.