Mixed martial arts veteran Jeremy Stephens (29-21, 1 NC) is back for a 35th appearance in the UFC Octagon.
Stephens’ unexpected return to the sport’s leading promotion comes almost four years on from his exit. “Lil Heathen’s’ submission defeat to Mateusz Gamrot left him winless across his last six fights, a run dating back to 2018.
A brief stint in the PFL didn’t go too much better, with the 38-year-old going 1-2 and failing to reach the playoffs in his sole season. But he’s since bounced back in a new realm, winning three straight in bare-knuckle boxing.
And after stopping Eddie Alvarez at BKFC Knucklemania V this past January, a return to MMA appeared to be next for Stephens after he was drafted by Team Miami for the launch year of the Global Fight League (GFL).
A couple of months later, however, an unexpected announcement has revealed Jeremy Stephens’ sudden return to the UFC for a homecoming fight in Des Moines on May 3. The veteran will face another returning face in Wales’ Mason Jones (15-2, 1 NC) at 155 pounds.
The Octagon is coming to DES MOINES @CorySandhagenx vs @Daico_Deiveson headlines the first ever #UFCDesMoines!
Tickets on sale March 21#LiveFromDSM | #WellsFargoArena | @IAEventsCenter pic.twitter.com/Vz5wMmwVbG
— UFC (@ufc) March 13, 2025
The news marks another blow to the legitimacy of the GFL. The new promotion was previously accused of announcing fighters for its draft who had not agreed to be included, and that trend has continued since the teams’ selections. After Rashad Evans refuted his signing after being drafted, Stephens has now become the latest to sign elsewhere.
Jones, meanwhile, returns to the UFC after an unbeaten 4-0 run under the Cage Warriors banner. “The Dragon” will now look to impress in his second stint on MMA’s biggest stage.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC Des Moines on May 3 are as follows:
- Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (bantamweight)
- Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal (middleweight)
- Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson (women’s strawweight)
- Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones (featherweight)
- Marlon Vera vs. Mario Bautista (bantamweight)
- Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate (women’s bantamweight)
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez (welterweight)
- Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos (bantamweight)
- JeongYeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek (featherweight)
- Cameron Smotherman vs. Serhiy Sidey (bantamweight)
- Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Toccos (heavyweight)
- Azamat Bekoev vs. Ryan Loder (middleweight)
