“Lil’ Heathen” is back.
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Jeremy Stephens will say goodbye to the 145-pound division and make his lightweight return against unranked 155-pound bruiser Drakkar Klose on April 17 at a city and venue to be named.
That’s according to a report from MMA Junkie.
Stephens (28-18, 1 NC) is somehow ranked in the featherweight Top 10 despite going winless in his last five fights. His most recent appearance ended by way of second-round knockout, courtesy of elbows from 145-pound title contender Calvin Kattar.
As for Klose, two years younger than Stephens at 32, he’s looking to rebound from his knockout loss to Beneil Dariush at UFC 248 back in March 2020. Prior to that misstep, Klose (11-2-1) was 5-1 inside the Octagon, though all five wins came by way of decision.
The April 17 fight card is expected to be headlined by the middleweight matchup between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa, Elsewhere on the card, Parker Porter collides with Chase Sherman in heavyweight action, while Tracy Cortez and Justine Kish hook ‘em up at 125 pounds.