Former UFC fighter and newly-signed PFL lightweight Jeremy Stephens learned a lot watching Anthony Pettis’ struggles last year in the league.
Stephens is set to take on Clay Collard in the PFL 1 headliner this Wednesday night in Arlington, TX. After a long tenure with the UFC, Stephens is hoping for a fresh start in his MMA career with his move to the PFL.
One curious element of Stephens’ move to the PFL is a potential future rematch with Pettis at lightweight. Stephens fell to Pettis at UFC 136 via a split decision.
Pettis signed with the PFL last year but didn’t live up to expectations. He lost a unanimous decision to Collard in the 2021 opener followed by a controversial split decision loss to Raush Manfio.
Stephens has never been one to shy away from his true feelings about everything related to MMA. During PFL 1 Media Day, he didn’t pull punches when explaining what he feels went wrong for Pettis in 2021.
“For one, he was too fat to make 155,” Stephens told media members. “And to take from that experience with Clay Collard, he didn’t take it serious. They paid him a ton of money, and he didn’t earn it. He went in there and looked sloppy. He went in there and looked like he didn’t show up. Clay Collard went in there, beat his ass up. That’s facts.”
Stephens, like Pettis, is looking to get back in the win column after a tough losing streak to end his time in the UFC. His last win came against Josh Emmett in Feb. 2018.
Pettis will face up-and-coming prospect Myles Price in his season debut on May 6. If both he and Stephens can get back on track, another fight between them in the PFL seems inevitable.
Do you want to see a Jeremy Stephens vs. Anthony Pettis rematch this season?
Continue Reading Jeremy Stephens Roasts Anthony Pettis For “Sloppy” First PFL Season at MMA News.