A tweet is a powerful thing, especially when it comes to mixed martial arts (MMA). In just a matter of 140 characters, a MMA fighter can demand to be paid, defend oneself when labeled a cheater, call out an opponent or interact with the millions of Internet warriors that make up cybertown.
For Jeremy Stephens, who recently utilized Instagram to blast MMA fighters who can’t handle a savage fight, Twitter has allowed him to address more than one topic in a single tweet. Stephens not only blasted current interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion Jose Aldo in a recent Twitter submission, but he commended Aldo’s teammate, Renan Barao, for his heart and chin in a unanimous decision loss to “Lil’ Heathen” back at UFC Fight Night 88.
Aldo ran from a fight with me and playing it safe. He needs his boy Barao’s heart & chin.
So… Who’s head do you want me to crack next?— Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) July 28, 2016
Stephens, 30, is one of the most brutal strikers in UFC today. He has reinvented himself at 145 pounds since dropping down from Lightweight and has often demonstrated the standup skills needed to contend alongside the Featherweight elite.
While it’s possible that Aldo did dodge Stephens because a matchup didn’t make sense as far as divisional rankings are concerned, the Brazilian is the best 145-pound fighter of all time and has never avoided anyone. So it’s more likely that Stephens is trying to prod Aldo while paying tribute to the war he had with Barao in the same breath.
Without a scheduled fight, Stephens has asked his fans who he should knockout next. What say you, Maniacs?