Cejudo Warns Nickal After Steveson's Stunning UFC 331 Loss

Henry Cejudo has a warning for Bo Nickal after watching Gable Steveson get knocked out in 12 seconds at UFC 331.

Steveson entered his Sept. 19 bout against Sean Sharaf as a massive favorite but was stopped in under 15 seconds, per Sherdog. Cejudo, a former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist, told the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast that credentialled wrestlers need to develop well-rounded skills before facing UFC-level competition.

The fighter known as "Triple C" wants Steveson to spend an entire year working purely on his defensive striking. "You cannot hurry up in the game," Cejudo said, according to the podcast. "And I hope Bo Nickal can also see this. You got to be able to respect the game, focus on mixed martial arts and just do that."

Steveson had finished all four of his previous MMA fights in the first round, including his UFC debut, before the Sharaf upset. Nickal had just one pro bout before earning his UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series in 2023 and went 4-0 to start his octagon run before Reinier de Ridder stopped him.

Nickal has since rebounded with consecutive finishes of Rodolfo Vieira and Kyle Daukaus. His next opponent has not been announced.