Did Jeremy Stephens Get Cut From The UFC?
Jeremy Stephens was one of the brightest stars in the UFC during his prime years, and was most prominent after being involved in a confrontation with Conor McGregor at a pre-fight press conference.
And if you visit ClutchBet website you will find his name among the best Iowan UFC fighters of all time.
However, the 36-year-old remains a main stay on the UFC roster, until earlier this year. Stephens and his 15-year tenure with the organization were brought to an end in January, as it was announced by the MMA company that they wouldn’t be renewing his contract after his most recent fight.
Stephens MMA Record
There are few fighters that have competed as regularly throughout their careers as Stephens, as the American has fought on 50 occasions at a professional level. He has won 29 times, with 19 of those victories being recorded by knockout. Furthermore, two wins have come by submission and eight have come by decision.
He was a prominent fighter on UFC events throughout his career with the company, as he competed on flagship cards on 33 occasions. His last fight with the UFC ended in defeat, as he was submitted by Mateusz Gamrot on the undercard of the Makhachev vs Moises bout in July 2021. That was his first fight back in the lightweight division, and continued his winless streak.
His best period with the UFC came between September 2017 and February 2018, as he won three bouts on the bounce. That included a stunning KO victory over Josh Emmett at the UFC on Fox. However, that would be his final victory in the UFC, as he would lose six of his next seven bouts, with one ruled as a non-contest against Yair Rodriguez. But, he would later lose to the same opponent by decision in October 2019.
UFC Records
As one of the mainstays in the company for an extended period, Stephens set a number of records and picked up a selection of accolades with the company. One of the records that he would likely be most proud of is the fact that he is tied with Anderson Silva for the second-most knockdowns in UFC history. Stephens also picked up the Performance of the Night bonus on one occasion, with that coming following his stunning KO finish of Josh Emmett.
He was regularly involved in fights of the year, and that was evident as he picked up the Fight of the Night bonus on six occasions. Those awards were picked up following his bouts against Renan Barao, Cub Swanson, Sam Stout, Gilbert Menedez, Choi Doo-Ho and Yair Rodriguez. The latter was also warded the Fight of the Month for October 2019 by MMAJunkie.com.
Stephens once told McGregor that he was one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC, and he does have some evidence to back up that claim. The former UFC star won the Knockout of the Night bonus on three occasions, with those being won following victories against Rafael dos Anjos, Justin Buchholz and Marcus Davis.
What’s Next For Stephens?
Stephens made a very quick decision regarding his future after parting ways with the UFC, as he signed with PFC for the 2022 campaign and competed in the lightweight division.
However, he was unable to end his losing streak in his first fight with the company, as he was beaten by Clay Collard in a very entertaining bout by unanimous decision. But, he has since recorded a first victory since February 2018, as he managed to claim a split decision win against Myles Price.
That fight also won’t be the last we see of Stephens this year, as the former UFC star will return to compete before the end of the year, as he takes on newcomer Natan Schulte at the end of November.
