LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 16: Jeremy Stephens poses on the dimensions in the course of the UFC weigh-in at UFC APEX on April 16, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“Lil Heathen” is again within the UFC after a number of years away.
Months after being “drafted” by the fledgling GFL, Jeremy Stephens has apparently parted methods with that group and re-signed with the UFC. Stephens (29-21, 1NC) was lately introduced by promotion officers as returning to the octagon for UFC Des Moines on Could 3, 2025, the place he’ll tackle Mason Jones.
Jones, like Stephens, is making his return to the corporate within the combat. For Jeremy Stephens, nonetheless, the combat is a homecoming, each when it comes to his return to the UFC, and combating in his birthplace of Des Moines, Iowa.
That makes the signing slightly extra comprehensible. As soon as a fan-favorite within the promotion’s light-weight division, Stephens exited the corporate in 2021 off a loss to Mateusz Gamrot. He then joined the PFL, going 1-2 throughout three fights earlier than transferring on to boxing and bareknuckle boxing, the latter below the BKFC banner.
Whereas Stephens has three straight wins in BKFC, his final combat in MMA was a 2022 loss within the PFL to Natan Schulte. Nonetheless, including the 38-year outdated to UFC Des Moines is certain to make the native followers glad. The veteran has shared the cage with the likes of Calvin Kattar, Yair Rodriguez, Jose Aldo, Josh Emmett, Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway, Cub Swanson, Renan Barao, and Charles Oliveira, amongst others.
Mason Jones has spent the final two years competing for Cage Warriors, the place he’s received 4 straight fights.
UFC Des Moines takes place Could 5 on the Wells Fargo Area with the next match-ups reported for the occasion:
Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones
Marlon Vera vs. Mario Bautista
Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson
Trevor Peek vs. Lee Jeong-yeong
Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey
Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
Ryan Loder vs. Azamat Bekoev
