Dennis Bermudez has proven he likes to get down and dirty. His Fight of the Year contender bout with Matt Grice in 2013 is all the evidence you need.
That also happens to be Jeremy Stephens‘ favorite type of fight.
So when the two tangled Saturday night at UFC 189, the action was everything you could have hoped for and more.
The duo went a thrilling two-plus rounds in a bloody, back-and-forth slugfest before Stephens turned up the heat and won via TKO at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“You come at me like that, and, boom, I’m looking to knock you the f— out,” said Stephens (24-11).
The tone was set early when a nasty, accidental headbutt opened a deep cut over Stephens left eye. Bermudez got the best of the opening round, beating Stephens to the punch and controlling the bout both in the standup and on the floor.
Bermudez also scored in the second with a nice Superman punch. But Stephens slowly picked up steam, and the leg kicks he threw over the course of the fight began to take their toll.
Stephens’ power is his calling card, and he put it to good use in the third round, as he connected with a standing knee and then a series of punches to the downed Bermudez. The bout was waved off at the :32 second mark of the final round.
The bout was contested at a catchweight 149.5 pounds, as Stephens missed weight. He shook off a two-fight losing streak with the win.
“Those last two losses were two decisions,” Stephens said. “I went back and I had to think about my mentality. I had to go back and think about, like when I beat [current lightweight champion] Raphael dos Anjos. When I have the right mentality, I can do whatever I set my mind to.”