Jeremy Stephens Returns To Fight Mason Jones at UFC Fight Night 256

Jeremy Stephens is set to make a surprise return to the Octagon against Mason Jones at UFC Fight Night 256 in Des Moines, Iowa on May 3rd.

The 38-year-old Stephens had previously enjoyed a 14-year campaign in the UFC, but it came to an end in 2021 after a very bad run of form that had seen him win just once in his last 9 Octagon appearances.

Stephens would go on to fight for the PFL promotion in 2022, but only went 1-2 there. However, Stephens then went on to pursue other opportunities in both boxing and bareknuckle boxing, where he’s gone on to have some notable successes.

His boxing debut came against a familiar foe in UFC legend Jose Aldo, who had previously beaten him by a 1st round TKO in the Octagon in 2018. This time they fought under boxing rules though, and despite Aldo having been hailed for his boxing ability, Stephens managed to fight his way to a draw.

Stephens then went up against another ex-MMA fighter, Chris Avila a few months later, but lost by unanimous decision.

Stephens then switched his attention to bareknuckle boxing, where things really clicked into place for him, TKO’ing former UFC fighter Jimmie Rivera, followed by a decision win against Bobby Taylor and then in January of this year claiming his biggest win in years when he TKO’d former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

Now Stephens will fight the 29-year-old Jones, who is also making a comeback to the UFC, having previously gone 1-2 (+nc) between 2021-2022 before being released.

Jones then signed for Cage Warriors, where he’s gone on to win four fights in a row, including three TKO finishes, which has paved the way for his return to the UFC.

Stephens vs. Jones joins a UFC Fight Night 256 card that will be headlined by a bantamweight fight between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo, while Bo Nickal will fight Reiner de Ridder.