UFC Veteran Returns for One Fight in His Hometown
Jeremy Stephens is making a one-fight return to the UFC, and it’s happening in a familiar setting - his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. The longtime Featherweight and Lightweight veteran will face Mason Jones at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Iowa, this Saturday. This will be Stephen’s first UFC bout since 2021. Stephens closed out that UFC run on a five-fight losing streak before leaving the promotion. He would fight three times in the PFL, having only one win and two losses, before transitioning to boxing, where he would also be relatively unsuccessful.
From there, Stephens would have a stint in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, where he went undefeated in three fights. Two notable opponents he beat in this stint are former UFC top contender Jimmie Rivera and former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. Now 38 years old, he’s not looking for a comeback or a title run. This is a one-off appearance, something he pushed for when the UFC announced its first card in Iowa in over two decades.
Stephens brings with him a wealth of experience, with 34 UFC appearances and a reputation for exciting, heavy-handed fights. His career has seen ups and downs, but he’s remained a respected name in the sport for nearly two decades. The UFC granted him a one-fight deal—they offered him two contracts, a guaranteed number, and a show-and-win. Stephens bet on himself and picked the show-and-win contract. For Stephens, this isn’t about proving anything, it’s a chance to fight once more in front of friends, family, and a home crowd that’s followed him since the early days.
Jones, his opponent, is a 30-year-old fighter from Wales who’s returning to the UFC after a few years away. Jones is younger, active, and well-rounded, and he views this fight as a way to get his foot back in the door. Stephens, on the other hand, will rely on experience and toughness, which have carried him through some of the toughest matchups in UFC history. It’s a classic veteran-versus-prospect scenario, but with no long-term plans in play, Stephens is treating it as a final chapter—win or lose. For Iowa fans, it’s a rare opportunity to see one of their stars step into the Octagon one more time.
