Steven Asplund shined in his octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 73 with a brutal and bloody beatdown of Sean Sharaf.
It was almost entirely one-way traffic for Asplund (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who cut Sharaf (4-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) open in the first round and spilled blood all over the canvas at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Although Sharaf hung tough and absorbed much damage and swung back, the pressure of Asplund was relentless, and the referee jumped in for a standing TKO at the 3:49 mark of Round 2.
Asplund set a new record for most significant strikes landed in a three-round UFC heavyweight fight at 168, snapping a previous record held by former champion Andrei Arlovski.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):
DENSE HANDS 🦾@StevenA75 earns a RD 2 finish in his UFC debut!
[ #UFCVegas112 is LIVE now on the @ESPN app ] pic.twitter.com/sXeoSAJvrT
— UFC (@ufc) December 14, 2025
With the heavyweight division in need of as much fresh talent as possible, Asplund said he is looking to make noise after a successful first octagon appearance.
“I’m honored this is my debut and this is what the performance was – it’s just crazy,” Asplund told Michael Bisping in his post-fight interview. “I told everyone in this heavyweight division I’ve got a gas tank that’s going to make you f*cking sick. I used to be 525 pounds. I used to have a gas then, I have a gas tank now. I’m ready to shine.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 73 results include:
- Steven Asplund def. Sean Sharaf via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:49
- Luana Santos def. Melissa Croden via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Guilherme Pat def. Allen Frye Jr. via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jamey-Lyn Horth def. Tereza Bleda via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:05
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 112 video: Steven Asplund sets striking record in bloody TKO
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