{"id":30325,"date":"2025-05-03T15:01:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T20:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/holaamericanews.com\/?p=30325"},"modified":"2025-05-03T15:38:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T20:38:36","slug":"peoples-champ-iowa-native-jeremy-stephens-returns-to-the-ufc-this-saturday-night-at-ufc-fight-night-in-des-moines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/holaamericanews.com\/es\/peoples-champ-iowa-native-jeremy-stephens-returns-to-the-ufc-this-saturday-night-at-ufc-fight-night-in-des-moines\/","title":{"rendered":"Peoples Champ: Iowa native Jeremy Stephens returns to the UFC this Saturday night at UFC Fight Night in Des Moines"},"content":{"rendered":"
Advertisements<\/div>\"\"<\/a><\/div>

For the first time in the organization\u2019s history, the UFC<\/a> will make its debut in Des Moines, IA this Saturday night at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figuieredo on ESPN. And if that wasn\u2019t enough, after being gone almost four years, Jeremy \u201cLil Heathen\u201d Stephens (28-19, 1NC) will make his return to the octagon to face Mason Jones (15-2, 1NC) kicking off the main card. \u201cThe best words to say are, I\u2019m home,\u201d said Stephens. \u201cI\u2019ve lived in San Diego for sixteen years, but this is home. I have a ton of support from coaches and a team that have put in the work with me over all the years, I\u2019m home. The heathen is home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Coming off a successful run at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, which may not be over, Stephens was unsure if the UFC would want him on this card once it was announced that the UFC would be making its first stop in Iowa. But with a push from his wife and friends around him it didn\u2019t take long for him and everyone else to see that it only made sense that he was a part of this historical night in MMA. \u201cI sent a message to Dana, and he finally got back to me and told me to send him some names,\u201d explained Stephens.\u201d \u201cIt really didn\u2019t matter who they set up for me, it\u2019s just another body bag for me. Next thing I know, they were calling me to congratulate me, and they said they were going to announce it as soon as we got off the phone. I told my wife and like fifteen minutes later I looked at Instagram and it was going nuts.\u201d<\/p>

Advertisements<\/div>\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\n

Not since Miletich Fighting Systems was in full force has Iowa been in the spotlight. But being born and raised in Des Moines, Stephens is ready to put his state back on the MMA map. \u201cIowa, we\u2019re overlooked,\u201d said Stephens. \u201cWe\u2019re counted out, were a flyover state but you look at all the NFL players, they\u2019re all from Iowa, it\u2019s the heart that pumps this nation. Iowa, we fight, and we fight hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Arena in his hometown, Stephens wants everyone to know that he is exactly where he is supposed to be right now and he may still have some unfinished business with a certain Irishman he was face to face with in the past few months. It\u2019s going to happen,\u201d said Stephens. \u201cMark my words, BKFC, UFC, you cannot (explicative) run from me. I will find you and I will kill you. I\u2019ve got a special set of psychotic skills that pay the bills.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI made this happen with my bare knuckles, more skin in the game,\u201d explained Stephens. \u201cThe struggle I had to go through with leaving UFC and to be doubted, counted out, left for dead, one thing they forgot about me is that I\u2019ve been fighting my whole life, so this feel like the best moments in life right now. And to do it right here in the heart that pumps this nation, Des Moines, Iowa, the 515, Saturday night, violence guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeremy Stephens will face Mason Jones at UFC<\/a> Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figuieredo on ESPN. Prelims at 6pm CT, main card at 9pm on ESPN.<\/p>

Advertisements<\/div>\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\n
Advertisements<\/div>\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the first time in the organization\u2019s history, the UFC will make its debut in Des Moines, IA this Saturday night at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figuieredo on ESPN. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,52,38],"tags":[258,143,8617],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"es","enabled_languages":["en","es"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t