After more than 15 years, 34 fights, and a reputation as one of the UFC’s most violent finishers, Jeremy Stephens walked away from the Octagon in 2022 without slamming any doors. Three years later, Stephens is back, older, more dangerous, and fueled by something far deeper than just another fight purse.
The 38-year-old returns to the UFC this Friday for a one-fight deal on the card in Des Moines, Iowa—his hometown. And this isn’t just any comeback, he revealed it is personal for him.
“I never got cut from the UFC,” Stephens told MMA Fighting. “I decided to go around, search for life outside of there and I felt like maybe there was a little bit of bad blood there. I left all good with Dana [White] and things like that from the shove [against Drakkar Klose]. I just wanted to explore my options.”
His journey in the combat sports world took him across professional boxing rings, a stint in PFL, and most notably, an unbeaten tear through bare-knuckle fighting. His jaw-rattling win over Eddie Alvarez in BKFC reminded the combat sports world of exactly who Jeremy Stephens is and what he’s still capable of.
“I watch UFC and seeing some guys on there and I’m like I could knock that dude out who knocked that dude out. I was like I could still be there. It was always in the back of my mind. A brother of mine, rest in peace Anthony Johnson, he took a route outside of there, came back to the UFC, had some really good paydays and a title fight.
“My wife was like ‘why don’t you reach out to Dana?’ I was like I don’t know. Then I was like why not? I’ve dragged myself out of the ring well this far so why not keep going? Why not shoot my shot? I took a shot, I was like you know what babe, write up a message and I’ll send it to him.”
With encouragement from his late friend Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s return to the UFC, and with a little push from his wife, Stephens finally reached out to Dana White on Instagram.
“I messaged Dana, just shot my shot,” he said. “Next thing I know, I’m leaving Des Moines after a visit and Dana gets back to me. Said he’d been meaning to reach out, had Hunter [Campbell] contact me. Boom. It came together.”
Stephens was soon offered a deal. No long-term contract just one more shot in the cage. And that’s all Stephens needed.
“I bring 515 to Brazil,” Stephens said about always representing Iowa in his fights. “My last fight [against Eddie Alvarez]. There’s nobody that represents the 515 [like me]. I’m the best to ever do it out of Des Moines, Iowa.
“I’m happy for them. I’m for Des Moines people. This is a flyover state, why doesn’t anyone ever come here? It’s been like 17 or 18 years in the making to come here and I’m the card. It’s the right timing. Des Moines, they’re going to love this.”
His opponent, Mason Jones, is no easy challenge. The Welsh striker has never been finished in his pro career. But that doesn’t seem to faze Stephens one bit.
“I’m going to put him in the f*****g morgue, bring this pain to purpose,” Stephens said at UFC Des Moines media day. “I got goals and delusions. This is just a little gas stop for the ultimate goal and dream.”
Stephens knows he’s the underdog and he understands that people may not root for him after his four-fight skid before leaving the UFC. However, Stephens believes that those losses were preparing him for a moment such as this.
“I crawled out of that well like in The Ring, that movie, right? I was at the bottom of that f*cking well. I crawled out of that motherf*cker. They had the cement over the lid and I had to crawl out bare-knuckle. Really prove my f*cking worth. Put my shit on the f*cking line and now I’m getting all my tools back and it’s just going to be f*cking havoc on these motherf*ckers. I get to create myself another opportunity.”
While the bout is officially set to open the main card, Stephens doesn’t see it that way.
“The real f*cking main event!” Stephens said. “Listen, I had to walk through fire in Philly, get shit on by my promoters and have f*cking p*ssy [Joe] Pyfer and all these dudes trying to ring me through the mud. I just stay focused and do my thing. Now I’m getting all the love and I’m getting all this. This is still a fight. The crowd, you don’t let it come into that.”
This might be his last UFC appearance, or it might be the start of one final run. Either way, Stephens is all in and he’s taking Des Moines with him.
