The Des Moines native makes his first walk to the Octagon since July 2021, seeking his first UFC win since February 2018, so fans who came to the sport in the last few years could be forgiven for not having an awareness of Stephens’ time in the promotion. Since his departure, he fought in three more mixed martial arts contests, but Stephens’ biggest success came in the world of bareknuckle boxing. He earned three wins in as many fights, including victories over fellow former UFC athletes Jimmie Rivera and Eddie Alvarez.
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Before that, however, he was an all-action youngster who made his Octagon debut as a 21-year-old at UFC 71. He would drop his debut to Thomas, but four months later, he would snatch his first UFC win at UFC 76. Over the next 14 years, Stephens was always good for a scrap, even if he never ascended to the ranks of title contender. He earned stunning knockout wins over Rafael Dos Anjos, Josh Emmett and Dooho Choi. He beat Renan Barão when the former bantamweight champion decided to move up to 145 pounds. Overall, Stephens earned six Fight of the Night bonuses as well as four more performance bonuses.
But what makes his return on May 3 a cool moment isn’t the fact that he is back in the Octagon, which will be a fun sight to see; it’s the fact that he is doing it in his hometown, where he competed 11 times in his first 14 professional fights. His last came in July 2007, his final win on the regional scene before cementing himself in the UFC, so it only felt right for Stephens to compete in UFC’s first foray into the city 18 years later.
