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Dana White Receives Plea from Former UFC KO Artist for One More Fight

MMA free agent makes case for another UFC run: "I don't need a f****** contract".

Christopher De Santiago

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena.
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A 51-fight veteran doesn't like how he left things in the UFC.

After having 34 fights inside the Octagon, Jeremy Stephens was eventually fired by the UFC in 2021 after a string of losses and a series of unfortunate events plagued his career here and there. "Lil Heathen " got back on his feet in free agency, fighting in the PFL before getting in the boxing ring against UFC vets Jose Aldo, Chris Avila and Jimmie Rivera.

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Jeremy Stephens Wants Back in UFC

Jeremy Stephens walks to his corner in between rounds of a fight against Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight bout.
Oct 18, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Jeremy Stephens walks to his corner in between rounds of a fight against Yair Rodriguez (not seen) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at the TD Garden. / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Stephens, 38, is signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) where he is currently having trouble finding a next opponent. With that said, there are plenty of fun matchups over in the UFC's stacked lightweight division, if Dana White and the UFC brass were to let the fan-favorite fight for them again - which isn't all that likely, much like Luke Rockhold's latest request.

Being on the wrong end against up-and-coming prospects like Zabit Magomedsharipov and Mateusz Gamrot before, Stephens would like nothing more than a fight against a seasoned veteran himself and who fits the bill better than the promotion's all-time leader in wins, Jim Miller?

"Dana hit me up, bro. I don't need a f****** contract," Stephens said on The Jaxxon Podcast. "You want to pay me one fight? Gimme these Jim Miller's, he just got beat up by my boy, Bobby Green. I won't say nothing about Bobby Green. I love Bobby Green, but he's still competing. I would love to take out some of these guys. I'm still active."

The 44-fight UFC veteran Miller has 10 more bouts than Stephens, losing his last one against Bobby Green in a bloody unanimous decision at UFC 300.

Jim Miller (left) fighting Bobby Green (right) at UFC 300 on Apr. 13
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Win, lose or draw, Stephens' resume in the UFC never ceases to amaze. Between featherweight and lightweight, Stephens fought the likes of Rafael Dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway and those former champs are just a fraction of the high-level competition Stephens found himself pitted against from 2007 to 2021.

"I fought these f****** best of the best and I know I can still compete in the UFC with these guys. I know I can still put on savage highlight knockouts," Stephens added.

Why Was Stephens Cut From The UFC?

Stephens' days of being a UFC athlete came to a close after going six fights without a win, losing to now top contender Gamrot in his last appearance. Though, Stephens believes there's more to the story in how he got cut, citing his viral push against Drakkar Klose as the reason for why his relationship with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby "went south".

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With Shelby in between him and Klose at the weigh-ins for a previously scheduled fight back in 2021, Stephens engaged Klose, pushing him back to end up taking him out of the fight altogether due to medical issues suffered from the cheap move. UFC's Dana White wasn't too happy with Shelby for the altercation that saw the card's co-main event cancelled.

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Christopher De Santiago

CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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