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Jeremy Stephens | Remember This Guy?
After Almost Four Years Away, Jeremy Stephens Gets A Homecoming Bout In His Return To The Octagon
Newer UFC fans might tune in to the main card on May 3, see a 38-year-old man making the walk to the Octagon and think: Who the f*** is this guy?
The answer: Jeremy Stephens — a 34-fight UFC veteran, a man who is tied with Anderson Silva for the 2nd-most knockdowns landed in the promotion’s history and a longtime fan-favorite who shared the Octagon with everyone from Din Thomas and Frankie Edgar to José Aldo and Mateusz Gamrot.
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In short: the “Lil’ Heathen” is back.
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The Des Moines native makes his first walk to the Octagon since July 2021, seeking his first UFC win since February 2018, so fans who came to the sport in the last few years could be forgiven for not having an awareness of Stephens’ time in the promotion. Since his departure, he fought in three more mixed martial arts contests, but Stephens’ biggest success came in the world of bareknuckle boxing. He earned three wins in as many fights, including victories over fellow former UFC athletes Jimmie Rivera and Eddie Alvarez.
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Before that, however, he was an all-action youngster who made his Octagon debut as a 21-year-old at UFC 71. He would drop his debut to Thomas, but four months later, he would snatch his first UFC win at UFC 76. Over the next 14 years, Stephens was always good for a scrap, even if he never ascended to the ranks of title contender. He earned stunning knockout wins over Rafael Dos Anjos, Josh Emmett and Dooho Choi. He beat Renan Barão when the former bantamweight champion decided to move up to 145 pounds. Overall, Stephens earned six Fight of the Night bonuses as well as four more performance bonuses.
But what makes his return on May 3 a cool moment isn’t the fact that he is back in the Octagon, which will be a fun sight to see; it’s the fact that he is doing it in his hometown, where he competed 11 times in his first 14 professional fights. His last came in July 2007, his final win on the regional scene before cementing himself in the UFC, so it only felt right for Stephens to compete in UFC’s first foray into the city 18 years later.
For his troubles, Stephens fights Mason Jones, a former Cage Warriors two-division champion who is making his own return to the promotion. Jones arrived to the UFC as a highly touted prospect with a shiny 10-0 record, but his first stint didn’t go as planned. He dropped his debut to Mike Davis in a Fight of the Night effort, and his second bout ended in a no contest after an accidental eye poke. He scored a win over David Onama and many believed that was the start to a bright future, but after a loss to L’udovit Klein he returned to Cage Warriors, where he picked up four wins (and three knockouts) in a year-long stretch, earning his way back into the UFC.
MORE STEPHENS: Returning Home | Jeremy Stephens' Fight Week Interview
Jones is now in the role of spoiler, but Stephens welcomes all the smoke all the time.
As the sport continues into its third decade and bids farewells to mainstays from the 2000s and the 2010s, Stephens hopes to recreate some of that patented and powerful magic for his hometown fans. And you can expect the reception to be raucous.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo took place live from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on May 3, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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