Jeremy Stephens will tackle the biggest opportunity of his career when he squares off with former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Jose Aldo in the UFC on Fox 30 co-main event this Saturday in Calgary, Alberta. With 11 years and 28 bouts in the UFC under his belt, the 32-year-old Stephens has hit his stride inside the Octagon. A win over Aldo would conceivably push him deeper into contention and move him one step closer to a title shot he has spent a decade pursuing.
A Decade in the Making
When Stephens sets foot in the Octagon, he will tie Jim Miller and Michael Bisping for the most appearances in UFC history. Early in his career, Stephens was known more for his powerful right hand and his willingness to stand and trade with anyone. Fast forward 10 years, and he has become a calculated and patient striker with brutal power for the featherweight division. Instead of running forward face first with swinging hooks that knock him off-balance, he works behind his jab and feints into combos, setting traps for his spine-chilling right hand.
Stephens put on the best performance of his career against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 215, where he showed incredible patience and a more tactical approach. He paced his wild exchanges in the pocket with strikes from the outside and put on one of the greatest leg kicking clinics in the history of the sport.
Low kicks have always been a staple of Stephens’ offense, but against Melendez, he showed the ability to mix up the kicks from thigh to ankle. Most low kicks are thrown to the thighs, where they can easily be checked and cause much more pain for the kicker than the receiver. Mixing up the kicks to the calf and ankle not only overwhelms your opponent with options but makes the kick impossible to check and take on the knee. The downside for thigh kicks has always been the chance of kicking the knee, but the only way to check a calf kick is to take it on the ankle or make the kicker miss.
Stephens also does a wonderful job of mixing up his combos in the pocket to the head and body. Early in his career, he was a pure headhunter but has since developed into a well-rounded striker who can best opponents in the pocket, at range or in the clinch. With vicious hooks to the head and body in the pocket and leg kicks at range, Stephens can truly pick apart his opponents from head to toe.
Stephens spent most of his career at lightweight and did not move to featherweight until 2013. He has compiled an 8-5 record since. Stephens was known for his incredible power at lightweight, but at featherweight, his ability to finish the fight with one punch may be second to none. Half of his wins at 145 pounds have been highlight-reel finishes, and his opponents are visibly taken aback when they first feel his power. This finishing ability, along with newfound tactical striking, makes Stephens a matchup nightmare for anybody in the division.