Dana White gets call from former UFC KO artist for another fight

The 51-fight veteran isn't satisfied with his performance at UFC.

Jeremy Stephens fought 34 bouts inside the Octagon before finally being released by UFC in 2021 after a string of losses and a string of bad luck plagued his career. “Lil Heathen” bounced back in free agency, fighting in the PFL before facing UFC veterans Jose Aldo, Chris Avila and Jimmie Rivera in the boxing ring.

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The 38-year-old Stevens is signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) but is currently struggling to find his next opponent. That being said, there are plenty of entertaining matchups in UFC's powerful lightweight division if Dana White and UFC executives are willing to give the fan favorite another fight. However, as with Luke Rockhold's recent request, that seems unlikely.

Having previously lost to promising prospects like Zabit Magomedsharipov and Mateusz Gamrot, Stephens is hoping to face a seasoned veteran, and who better to face than the promotion's all-time winningest fighter, Jim Miller?

“Dana reached out to me. I don't want a contract,” Stevens said on the Jackson Podcast. “Give me money for one fight? Give me Jim Miller's money. He just got beaten up by my Bobby Green. I'm not gonna say anything about Bobby Green. I like Bobby Green, but I'm still out there. I want to beat some of these guys. I'm still around.”

Miller, a 44-fight UFC veteran, has 10 more fights than Stevens and last fought, losing a unanimous decision to Bobby Green at UFC 300.

Win, loss or draw, Stephens' UFC resume is astounding and endless. Between the featherweight and lightweight divisions, Stephens has fought the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, and these former champions are just a few of the high-level competitors Stephens faced from 2007 to 2021.

“I've fought the best f**king fighters, and I know I can still fight these guys in the UFC. I know I can still deliver some brutal highlight knockouts,” Stephens added.

Stephens' days as a UFC fighter came to an end with a loss to current top contender Gamrot in his final bout, snapping a six-fight winless streak, but Stephens believes there's more to how he was dropped by UFC, citing his viral push against Drakkar Klose as the reason for a “souring” relationship with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby.

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With Shelby between him and Close at the weigh-in for their planned bout in 2021, Stevens fought Close, pushing him back, but eventually health issues from the sneaky move took him out of the fight altogether. UFC's Dana White wasn't too happy with Shelby over the altercation, which resulted in the card's co-main event being canceled.

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