Jeremy Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competes in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division of

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

(PFL). A professional since 2005, he spent 15 years and competed in 33 bouts in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

and

divisions.

Background

Stephens was born in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, on May 26, 1986, and came from a broken home. When he was eight years old, Stephens parents divorced and he constantly switched between schools while also living in various apartments, shelters, and even in his mother's car before moving to

Norwalk, Iowa Norwalk is a city in Warren County, with some small portions extending into Polk County, in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 12,799 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is part of the Des Moines metropolitan area and is located just ...

with his father, who was granted custody of Stephens when he was in the fifth grade. Growing up, Stephens played baseball, basketball, and also competed in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

. Stephens attended Norwalk High School where he was a standout in baseball and wrestling, having returned to wrestling during his senior year. Stephens was introduced to mixed martial arts by his grandfather who had also originally persuaded Stephens to compete in wrestling. While beginning his career in mixed martial arts, Stephens looked up to and later became friends with fellow Des Moines native

Josh Neer Joshua Martin Neer (born March 24, 1983) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. Ne ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

At age 16, Stephens began mixed martial arts as an amateur and began full-time training at the age of 18. Stephens was the UGC and MCC Lightweight Champion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2007

Stephens was defeated via second round armbar submission in his UFC debut against veteran

Din Thomas Din Yero Thomas (born September 28, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist who was featured on '' The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback''. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas is a UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist. H ...

UFC 71 ''UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on Saturday, May 26, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was the rem ...

on May 26, 2007. His first win in the UFC was against Diego Saraiva at

UFC 76 '' UFC 76: Knockout'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on September 22, 2007, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Although the event was advertised with the ...

via unanimous decision.

2008

Jeremy then scored his second win inside the Octagon after beating

Cole Miller Cole Miller (born April 26, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the featherweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese. Mixed martial arts career Before giving ...

via second-round TKO at

UFC Fight Night 12 ''UFC Fight Night: Swick vs. Burkman'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 12'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 23, 2008, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background ...

. At the finale of

The Ultimate Fighter 7 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest'' was the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter'', and premiered on April 2, 2008 on Spike, after ''UFC Fight Nigh ...

, Jeremy took on former trainer and friend

Spencer Fisher Spencer William Fisher (born May 9, 1976) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2002–2012, he is best known for his 17-fight tenure with the UFC, winning "Fight of the Night" honors three times. Backgroun ...

. Stephens lost via unanimous decision. After the loss he rebounded with an emphatic come from behind knockout victory over

BJJ Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

black belt and future

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light ...

UFC 91 ''UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 15, 2008, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event featured the return of UFC Heavy ...

. He was out-grappled the first two rounds but in the third came out swinging and landed a huge uppercut on dos Anjos that knocked him unconscious. This win earned him the Knockout of the Night award.

2009

Stephens next stepped in as a late replacement for

Hermes Franca Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators ...

against

Joe Lauzon Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. (born May 22, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist, competing in the UFC's Lightweight division. A well-rounded fighter, he has the fourth most post-fight bonus awards in UFC history, behind Donald Ce ...

on February 7, 2009 at

UFC Fight Night 17 ''UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 17'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 7, 2009. Background The main event was originally scheduled to be between ...

. Lauzon defeated Stephens with an armbar late in the second round. Then on April 1, 2009 at UFC Fight Night: Condit vs Kampmann, Stephens was out-wrestled by

Gleison Tibau Janigleison Herculano Alves, better known as Gleison Tibau (; born July 10, 1983) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of Professional Fighters League. A professional since 1999, he has competed for ...

and lost his second straight fight via unanimous decision. Stephens was expected to return to the octagon on September 16, 2009, at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard against UFC newcomer Ronnys Torres. However, Torres sustained an injury during training and was replaced by

Justin Buchholz Justin Buchholz (born August 22, 1983) is a Filipino-American former mixed martial arts fighter. A professional from 2005 until 2018, he fought in the UFC, World Series of Fighting, Background Buchholz graduated from Lathrop High School (Alas ...

. Stephens defeated Buchholz after landing several big strikes and opening up a deep gash on Buchholz's forehead, forcing the doctor to stop the fight midway through the first round. This win earned him the Knockout of the Night award.

2010

Stephens was expected to face

Nik Lentz Nik Lentz (born August 13, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division. Background Lentz was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Twin ...

on January 11, 2010, at

UFC Fight Night 20 ''UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 20'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 11, 2010 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Background Nik Lentz wa ...

. However, Stephens suffered a cut and was forced to pull out of the fight. Stephens defeated

Sam Stout Samuel James Stout (born April 23, 1984) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2015, Stout is best known for his 20-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), winning ''Fight of the ...

via split decision on May 8, 2010, at

UFC 113 ''UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 8, 2010, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background UFC 113 featured the rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauríci ...

. He won the fight via split decision. This win earned him the Fight of the Night award. Stephens lost to

Melvin Guillard Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA a ...

on September 25, 2010, at

UFC 119 ''UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 25, 2010, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The event was the first that the UFC hosted in Indiana. ...

via split decision.

2011

Stephens faced

Marcus Davis Marcus Paul Davis (born August 24, 1973), is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC. A professional MMA competitor from 2003 until 2014, Davis also compete ...

on January 1, 2011, at

UFC 125 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. After likely losing the first two rounds, Stephens then came out more aggressive in the third round and caught Davis with a counter punch resulting in a KO win. This win earned him the Knockout of the Night award. Stephens was expected to face

Jonathan Brookins Jonathan Quinn Brookins (born August 13, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who competed as a featherweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Brookins has mostly fought in Florida, as well as ...

on June 4, 2011, at

The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos'' is the thirteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. The UFC and Spike TV held open tryouts on November 4, 2010, ...

. However, Brookins was forced from the bout with an injury and replaced by

Danny Downes Daniel William Downes (born April 8, 1986) is a retired American mixed martial artist. Even after his retirement, Downes has still continued to stick around the sport of MMA. He became what some call a "fighter turned writer", as he now write ...

. Stephens defeated Downes via unanimous decision after dominating all three rounds. Stephens faced

Anthony Pettis Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of th ...

on October 8, 2011, at

UFC 136 ''UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two-day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R. Brown ...

. Pettis defeated Stephens via split decision (29-28, 28–29, 29-28).

2012

Stephens replaced an injured

Yves Edwards Yves Ed'duvill Edwards (born September 30, 1976) is a Bahamian retired mixed martial artist, who is best known for competing in the UFC's Lightweight division, fighting 21 times in the promotion. A professional competitor since 1997, he also compe ...

against

Donald Cerrone Donald Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American retired mixed martial artist, actor, and former professional kickboxer. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight division for the Ultimat ...

on May 15, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Stephens was expected to face

on October 5, 2012, at

UFC on FX 5 ''UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 5, 2012, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the fifth UFC event broadcast l ...

. However, the bout was cancelled due to Stephens being arrested on the day of the event for an assault charge that dates back to 2011. The fight eventually took place on December 8, 2012 at

UFC on Fox 5 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Edwards won by knockout in the first round, being the first fighter to ever stop Stephens via strikes.

2013

Stephens made his Featherweight debut against promotional newcomer Estevan Payan on May 25, 2013 at

UFC 160 ''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Ant ...

. He won the bloody fight via unanimous decision. Stephens was expected to face

Rony Jason Rony Mariano Bezerra (born March 21, 1984), better known as Rony Jason, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, B ...

on October 9, 2013, at

UFC Fight Night 29 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 29'') was a mixed martial arts event held on October 9, 2013, at the Ginásio José Corrêa in Barueri, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background The e ...

. However, Jason pulled out of the bout citing an injury ( lumbar hernia). The bout eventually took place on November 9, 2013, at

UFC Fight Night 32 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 32'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 9, 2013, at the Goiânia Arena in Goiânia, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background Th ...

. Stephens won via knockout early in the first round.

2014

Stephens faced

Darren Elkins Darren Elkins (born May 16, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights in the Featherweight division. Elkins is known for his toughness and comeback victories. Background Elkins was bor ...

on January 25, 2014, at

UFC on Fox 10 ''UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 10'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 25, 2014, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined by a lightweight bout between former w ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Stephens faced

Cub Swanson Kevin Luke "Cub" Swanson (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2004, Swanson holds the most ...

on June 28, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 44 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 44'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in San Antonio. Zu ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award. Stephens next faced

Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira da Silvahttp://boxing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/boxingnvgov/content/results/2014_Results/12-12-14MMA.pdf (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He currently comp ...

on December 12, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

2015

Stephens faced

Dennis Bermudez Dennis Ross Bermudez (born December 13, 1986) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the UFC. Bermudez has been a professional MMA competitor since 2009. He has made a name for himself mainly fig ...

on July 11, 2015, at

UFC 189 ''UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event held on July 11, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event took place during the UFC's annual International Fight Week. The event was expected t ...

. He won the fight by TKO due to a flying knee and punches after a close first two rounds. Stephens faced

Max Holloway Jerome Max Keli'i Holloway (born December 4, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Holloway became the ...

on December 12, 2015, at

UFC 194 ''UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally scheduled to take place on Dece ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2016

Stephens faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion

Renan Barão Renan Mota do Nascimento Pegado (born 31 January 1987), better known as Renan Barão, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. He held one of the longest unbeaten streaks in MMA history - follo ...

on May 29, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 88 ''UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 88'') was a mixed martial arts event held on May 29, 2016, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A bantamweight bout between top undefeated p ...

. He won the back and forth bout by unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors for their performance. Stephens faced former

Frankie Edgar Frankie Edgar (born October 16, 1981) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Beginning his career in the L ...

on November 12, 2016, at

UFC 205 ''UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In what was described by UFC president Dana White as ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2017

Stephens faced

Renato Moicano Renato Alves Carneiro better known as Renato Moicano (born May 21, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Moicano made a ...

on April 15, 2017, at

UFC on Fox 24 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 15, 2017, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Background The event was the f ...

. He lost the fight by split decision. Stephens faced

Gilbert Melendez Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightwe ...

on September 9, 2017, at

UFC 215 ''UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 9, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Background The promotion was initially planning a PPV even ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded '' Fight of the Night'' honors for their performance.

2018

Stephens faced

Doo Ho Choi Choi Doo-ho ( ko, 최두호; born April 10, 1991, often anglicized to Doo Ho Choi or Dooho Choi), is a South Korean mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their Featherweight division. Background Ch ...

on January 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi. He won the fight via TKO in the second round. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night''. Stephens faced

Josh Emmett Joshua James Emmett (born March 4, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Emmett currently competes in the featherweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, Emmett has al ...

on February 24, 2018 at

UFC on Fox 28 ''UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 28'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on February 24, 2018, at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, United States. Background The even ...

. He won the fight via knockout in round two. This win earned him a

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

bonus. Stephens next faced former WEC Featherweight Champion and 2-time

UFC Featherweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

José Aldo José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júniorhttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/CI3oOc0VAAAr_iv.jpg (, born 9 September 1986), commonly anglicized as Jose Aldo, is a retired Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He last competed in the Ultimate Fight ...

, on July 28, 2018 at UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

2019

Stephens faced

Zabit Magomedsharipov Zabit Akhmedovich Magomedsharipov ( rus, Забит Ахмедович Магомедшарипов; born 1 March 1991) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist. He fought in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Champ ...

on March 2, 2019 at

UFC 235 ''UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 2, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heavyweigh ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Stephens faced

Yair Rodríguez Yair Raziel Rodríguez Portillo (born October 6, 1992) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Rodríguez has been with the UFC since 2014 a ...

on September 21, 2019 in the main event at UFC on ESPN+ 17. The bout ended in a "No Contest" just 15 seconds into the first round after Rodríguez accidentally swatted Stephens in the left eye, rendering Stephens unable to continue. Stephens faced

in a rematch on October 18, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN 6 ''UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 6'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 18, 2019 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Background A light ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award.

2020

Stephens was scheduled to

Calvin Kattar Calvin Kattar (born March 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2007, Kattar formerly compet ...

on April 18, 2020 at

UFC 249 ''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...

. However, on April 9,

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020. At the weigh-ins on May 8, Stephens missed weight, weighing in at 150.5 pounds, 4.5 pounds over the non-title featherweight limit. As a result, the bout proceeded as a catchweight bout and Stephens was fined 20% of his purse. Despite having success and out-striking Kattar in the first round, Stephens lost the fight via technical knockout in round two. Stephens was scheduled to face Arnold Allen on November 7, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira. However, Stephens was forced to withdraw from the event, citing injury.

2021

Stephens was expected to return to the lightweight division for the first one since 2012 to face

Drakkar Klose Drakkar Don Klose (born March 9, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born and raised alongside six other siblings in South Haven, Michigan, ...

UFC on ESPN 22 ''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 22'' and ''UFC Vegas 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 17, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterpr ...

. However, day of the event, it was announced that the bout was scrapped due to Klose sustaining a spinal injury as a result of being shoved by Stephens at the weigh-ins. Stephens faced

Mateusz Gamrot Mateusz Gamrot (born December 11, 1990) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gamrot is a former KSW Featherweight Champion and KSW Lightwei ...

on July 17, 2021 at UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés. He lost the fight via submission in round one.

2022

In late-January 2022, it was announced that after a nearly 15 year tenure and 33 fights in the UFC, Stephens contract was not renewed after his most recent fight for the promotion.

Professional Fighters League

After his contract was not renewed by the UFC, Stephens signed with PFL for the 2022 season to compete in their Lightweight division. In his promotional debut, Stephens faced

Clay Collard Clay Collard (born March 10, 1993) is an American professional mixed martial artist and boxer. A professional since 2011, he formerly competed for the UFC. He currently competes in the lightweight division of the Professional Fighters League. ...

on April 23, 2022 at PFL 1. In a back and forth affair, Stephens lost the bout via unanimous decision. Stephens faced Myles Price on June 17, 2022 at PFL 4. He won the bout via split decision. Stephens faced Natan Schulte on November 25, 2022 at PFL 10. Stephens lost the bout in the second round, getting submitted by arm-triangle choke.

Personal life

Stephens is of Mexican descent maternally. He has two daughters and is a good friend of former UFC Fighter

Anton Kuivanen Anton Kuivanen (born May 1, 1984) is an Estonian-Finnish mixed martial artist and coach. Kuivanen trains and teaches at the GB Gym, which is located in Helsinki, Finland and he has also had training camps in American Top Team located in Cocon ...

. Stephens has spoken about how self-doubt has affected his life and how his failures have led to suicidal thoughts in the past. On October 5, 2012, the date Stephens was supposed to fight at UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot, Stephens was arrested in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

after Minneapolis PD served an arrest warrant. Stephens was charged with felony assault and burglary, stemming from an incident that took place in

in 2011. Stephens was then extradited to the

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

jail where he was incarcerated for 15 days before being released. Most of the charges, however, were eventually dropped, and Stephens pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Knockout of the Night (Three times) ** Fight of the Night (Six times) **

(One time) vs.

**Tied (

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 and ...

) for second-most knockdowns in UFC history (18) *MMAJunkie.com **2014 June Fight of the Month vs.

**2019 October Fight of the Month vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 29–21 (1) , Natan Schulte , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , PFL 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:32 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 29–20 (1) , Myles Price , Decision (split) , PFL 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–20 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , PFL 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–19 (1) ,

, Submission (kimura) , UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–18 (1) ,

, KO (elbows) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:42 ,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–17 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 28–16 (1) ,

, NC (accidental eye poke) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–16 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–15 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:19 ,

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,30 ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 28–14 ,

, KO (elbows) , UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:35 ,

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–14 ,

Choi Doo-ho Choi Doo-ho ( ko, 최두호; born April 10, 1991, often anglicized to Doo Ho Choi or Dooho Choi), is a South Korean mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their Featherweight division. Background Ch ...

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:36 ,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–14 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–14 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–13 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–12 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–12 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–11 ,

, TKO (flying knee and punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:32 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–11 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–10 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–9 ,

, KO (head kick) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:40 ,

Goiânia Goiânia (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region and the 10th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a population ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 21–9 , Estevan Payan , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–9 ,

, KO (punches and elbows) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 ,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fuel TV: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–7 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–6 ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:33 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:32 ,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:43 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:39 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Swick vs. Burkman , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:44 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Diego Saraiva , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 , Nick Walker , TKO (punches) , MCC 9: Heatwave , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:45 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:44 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Vern Jefferson , TKO (punches) , Greensparks: Full Contact Fighting 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:58 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Norm Alexander , Submission (triangle choke) , TFC: Battle at the Barn , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:26 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Chris Mickle , KO (punch) , MCC 5: Thanksgiving Throwdown , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 0:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Aaron Williams , TKO (punches) , Universal Gladiator Championships 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Kenner, Louisiana Kenner (historically french: Cannes-Brûlées) is a city in Louisiana, United States. It is the largest city in Jefferson Parish, and is the largest incorporated suburban city of New Orleans. The population was 66,448 at the 2020 census. History ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Doug Alcorn , Submission (armbar) , Greensparks: Full Contact Fighting 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:56 ,

Clive, Iowa Clive is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 18,601. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clive is known for its Greenbelt Park and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Chris Mickle , TKO (punches) , MCC 4: The Rematch , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Kendrick Johnson , KO (punch) , Midwest Cage Championships 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:46 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Will Shutt , TKO (punches) , XKK: Trials , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:19 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Sharome Blanchard , TKO (punches) , XKK: Des Moines , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:36 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Chris Mickle , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Downtown Destruction 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:51 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Chris Caleb , KO (punch) , Downtown Destruction 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:44 ,

Owatonna, Minnesota Owatonna () is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fair ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Gary Percival , TKO (submission to punches) , Jungle Madness 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Ted Worthington , KO (punches) , Downtown Destruction 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:33 ,

, United States , , -

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Jeremy American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Iowa Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent Living people 1986 births Sportspeople from Des Moines, Iowa People from Polk County, Iowa American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Professional Fighters League

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links