Renan Barao will move up to the featherweight division for the first time in his UFC career as he takes on Jeremy Stephens on a Fight Night show not yet announced.
Renan Barao will fight at featherweight for the first time in his UFC career. To welcome him to the weight class, hard-hitting veteran Jeremy Stephens has accepted the challenge, as Combate reported.
10 fights into his UFC career, the former bantamweight champion Barao (33-3-1) decided to go up a division after losing to T.J. Dillashaw for a second time last July. Although the change is not yet known to be permanent, Barao has struggled severely with weight cutting in the past, to the point of passing out on the day before a title fight back at UFC 177, when he had to hospitalized.
Three years ago, Stephens (24-12) also decided to change weight classes, but dropping from 155 instead of going up. He managed to score good wins over the likes of Darren Elkins, Dennis Bermudez and Rony Jason. But “Lil’ Heathen” has been struggling lately, with only one win in his last four outings. He lost by unanimous decision to Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson, with only the Bermudez flying knee knockout victory sandwiched in between those defeats.
Although there is no event or country announced for the event, Combate also reported the bout will serve as the co-main event for a Fight Night card that is scheduled to take place on May 29.