UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens is again with the UFC and is scheduled to fight Mason Jones at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 3rd. This comes after seemingly being signed with the Global Fight League (GFL). As a result, Stephens has parted ways with the newly-formed MMA promotion to return to the global leader of the sport.
The card is going to be headlined with a Bantamweight bout involving Cory Sandhagen and former two-time UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Another notable bout on this card is a Middleweight bout involving former ONE FC Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Reiner de Ridder and three-time NCAA Division I Wrestling National Champion under Penn State, Bo Nickal.
The Octagon is coming to DES MOINES 🚨@CorySandhagenx vs @Daico_Deiveson headlines the first ever #UFCDesMoines!
— UFC (@ufc) March 13, 2025
🎟️ Tickets on sale March 21#LiveFromDSM | #WellsFargoArena | @IAEventsCenter pic.twitter.com/Vz5wMmwVbG
Despite training most of his MMA career in San Diego, California at Alliance MMA (alongside former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz), he will be returning to Des Moines, Iowa, where he was born. Lil Heathen returns to the UFC after a first-round Kimura submission loss to rising Lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot. Since then, he had mixed results in the PFL and boxing. However, he would then sign with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), where he would produce an undefeated record of 3-0, which includes a TKO win over former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez.
Jones is also returning to the UFC after a stint outside of the promotion. When initially signed with the UFC, he produced a record of 1-2 with one no-contest. Since then he produced an impressive four-fight winning streak under the Cage Warriors promotion.
Both fighters are looking to impress in their second chance with the biggest MMA organization in the world. They are both in need of a victory. This is going to be an opportunity that both fighters are going to looking to take full advantage of when that cage closes on May 3rd in the Wells Fargo Arena.
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