Tag: Jeremy Stephens

Gilbert Melendez Explains Why He’s Dropping Down To Featherweight

At 35 years of age, Gilbert Melendez, a former Strikeforce champion and a former UFC title challenger, has lost three consecutive fights at lightweight, and he’s well aware that change is needed, which is why he’s dropping down to 145 pounds to take on the hard hitting Jeremy Stephens at UFC 215 next month in […]

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At 35 years of age, Gilbert Melendez, a former Strikeforce champion and a former UFC title challenger, has lost three consecutive fights at lightweight, and he’s well aware that change is needed, which is why he’s dropping down to 145 pounds to take on the hard hitting Jeremy Stephens at UFC 215 next month in Canada.

In addition to needing a new start, however, Melendez is also moving down a weight class because fighters at lightweight have been getting ‘bigger’ and ‘stronger’:

“I’m dropping down to 145 because I feel guys are getting better at cutting weight. I think they are doing it healthy and the sport is evolving and there are better techniques to it,” he said on a recent edition of The MMA Hour.

“I used to be a 145 fighter and I was doing just fine at ‘55. Guys just got bigger and stronger and a little bit more tough. I was fighting guys like Benson, I didn’t fight Frankie, but he was at ‘55 before,” added Melendez.

After his recent losing skid, “El Nino” is looking to reinvent ‘himself’, and he feels as if he’ll be able to control the action more competing at featherweight:

“I think I am looking to reinvent myself and be a longer fighter there and do something different. These 55’ers are big and I can’t really push forward like I’d like to. I am not scared to, I think at 145 I will be longer and be able to impose my will more. That is my goal there,” he concluded.

As far as his fight with Stephens goes, Melendez is pleased with the stylistic matchup, and he feels as if it’ll turn out to be an exciting fight:

“I own the center of the Octagon and I stand there and bang. Guys who have beaten me have usually outpointed me and not really beat my butt,” Melendez claimed. “They stick and move or change game plans, Stephens isn’t one of those guys. He pushes forward and someone who I have been asking for, someone’s who is not a runner, someone who’s a banger that’s actually going to fight. I respect him and I like his style. It’s a good recipe for MMA,” he said.

What are you expecting from “El Nino” in his return to action next month?

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10 Current UFC Fighters Who Have Been To Jail

Boxing is often credited with having given many a troubled youth an alternate path away from a life of crime, as well as an opportunity to make something of themselves – and the sport of mixed martial arts is no different. Researching this article, there were many tales to be had of the rough childhoods, […]

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Boxing is often credited with having given many a troubled youth an alternate path away from a life of crime, as well as an opportunity to make something of themselves – and the sport of mixed martial arts is no different.

Researching this article, there were many tales to be had of the rough childhoods, thuggish behavior, and poor choices that had led to 10 current UFC stars having been sent to jail at some point in their lives.

However, one recurring theme that cropped up more often than not was of these individuals then discovered MMA upon their release, and they were then able to use that as a springboard to move beyond their criminal past, channel their energy and attention in a more positive direction, and it ultimately lead to them competing in the Octagon.

It’s a positive take on what is otherwise a dark collection of stories that demonstrate just how close some of these stars came to throwing away any chance they had of making something of their lives. Let’s take a look back at how 10 current UFC athletes turned it around after going to jail.

Mark Hunt

Some of heavy-handed heavyweight Mark Hunt’s many fans may be surprised to discover that in his younger days before he discovered MMA, he had a reputation for violence and criminal behavior in his home city of Auckland, New Zealand.

Hunt and his siblings suffered horrific physical abuse at the hands of their father growing up, and the anger felt as a result of that led to him regularly getting into trouble himself for fighting on the streets.

Hunt also became involved in petty crimes and admits to having stolen dozens of cars in his early teens, before finally being sentenced to nine months in jail at just 16-years-old after mugging a man for his Dr Martens shoes.

Hunt didn’t learn his lesson though and was later put behind bars again for assault.

It was only when a bouncer convinced him to try martial arts after witnessing him knock out several people outside a nightclub that Hunt finally started to get his life on track, and in the two decades since he’s gone from living a pitiful existence to earning $750,000 every time he fights in the Octagon.

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Gilbert Melendez vs. Jeremy Stephens Possible For UFC 215

Gilbert Melendez and Jeremy Stephens may do battle at UFC 215. Melendez is looking to move back down to featherweight after going on a three-fight skid. “El Nino” is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion. His record in the UFC, however, is 1-4. Stephens has also been on a bumpy road. He’s gone 2-5 in his […]

Gilbert Melendez and Jeremy Stephens may do battle at UFC 215. Melendez is looking to move back down to featherweight after going on a three-fight skid. “El Nino” is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion. His record in the UFC, however, is 1-4. Stephens has also been on a bumpy road. He’s gone 2-5 in his […]

Gilbert Melendez vs. Jeremy Stephens In The Works For UFC 215

We got another bout that is being targeted for the upcoming UFC 215 event. The card is taking shape and apparently will feature an intriguing featherweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Jeremy Stephens. The fight deal is close to being finalized according to Damon Martin, who broke the news via his Twitter account yesterday (Sunday, […]

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We got another bout that is being targeted for the upcoming UFC 215 event. The card is taking shape and apparently will feature an intriguing featherweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Jeremy Stephens. The fight deal is close to being finalized according to Damon Martin, who broke the news via his Twitter account yesterday (Sunday, July 2nd, 2017).

Melendez has not competed inside the world famous Octagon since his bout against Edson Barboza at UFC on Fox 20 in July of 2016. Gilbert lost the bout, which marked the third straight loss for the former Strikeforce Lightweight champion of the world.

Since then, he has teased a drop down to 145 pounds on the heels of his skid, which is now a fact as it will become a reality as he looks to pick up his first win since 2013.

Although this will be a fresh start for Melendez, his upcoming bout will not be an easy task as Stephens is riding a two-fight losing streak himself, losing to Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar in consecutive featherweight contests. Both fighter’s need a big win and they need it to come at UFC 215.

UFC 215 takes place on Sept. 9, 2017, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card will air on pay-per-view while the prelims will air on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Junior dos Santos has been booked to face Frances Ngannou in a heavyweight bout while Thiago Alves and Mike Perry will square off in a welterweight bout at the event. As of this writing, the promotion has yet to announce the main event.

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Mike Perry Dropped Jeremy Stephens For ‘Hip-Thrusting’ Girlfriend

The UFC hosted its 2017 Athlete Retreat in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past weekend and tensions began to flare between some fighters. First, it was reported that Cris Cyborg punched Angela Magana after the two got into a heated argument over some previous tweets Magana aimed at Cyborg. However, it seems as if this wasn’t […]

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The UFC hosted its 2017 Athlete Retreat in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past weekend and tensions began to flare between some fighters.

First, it was reported that Cris Cyborg punched Angela Magana after the two got into a heated argument over some previous tweets Magana aimed at Cyborg. However, it seems as if this wasn’t the only physical altercation.

Rising lightweight contender Mike Perry recently revealed that he pushed Jeremy Stephens to the ground after Stephens ‘tried to dance up’ on his girlfriend:

“I pushed Jeremy Stephens to the ground,” he told BJPenn.com. “We were at the Snoop Dogg concert. Cris ‘Cyborg’ had punched that one girl in the face on the second day. On the first night, they got between a couple of fighters, but they didn’t even touch each other.

“But then Jeremy Stephens tried to dance up on my girl, and he knew it was my girl. It was at the end of the night. Snoop had already come out, and I had been killing it, dancing with my girl all night. Jeremy Stephens walks up on her, and mid hip-thrust, as he was about to maybe make contact with her body, I pushed that motherf—ker hard as I could, double-hand to his chest, and he fell on the ground. He was mad as hell but he didn’t do s—t.”

“He was trying to be a dick, but he’s 145 pounds, he doesn’t want these problems,” Perry continued. “Who the fuck is that guy, bro?”

Perry has gained recognition after winning three of his four UFC bouts by way of stoppage, recently scoring a brutal knockout victory over Jake Ellenberger. Stephens, on the other hand, is coming off of back-to-back losses.

Perhaps the Athlete Retreat didn’t go exactly as the UFC had planned.

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Renato Moicano Outpoints Jeremy Stephens In Close Call

Jeremy Stephens (25-14) couldn’t pull off a win against Renato Moicano (11-0-1). The main card of the UFC on FOX 24 event began with a bout in the featherweight division. Stephens clashed with Moicano inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The two got started trading leg kicks. Moicano went for a spinning back

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Jeremy Stephens (25-14) couldn’t pull off a win against Renato Moicano (11-0-1).

The main card of the UFC on FOX 24 event began with a bout in the featherweight division. Stephens clashed with Moicano inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

The two got started trading leg kicks. Moicano went for a spinning back kick, but it was blocked. Stephens blocked a high kick, but was kept on his toes with leg kicks. A right hand found the mark for Moicano. As Moicano was backing up, Stephens landed a right hand. Moicano kept attacking the legs of his opponent and then scored a takedown. Stephens went for the arm as time expired.

At the start of the second stanza, “Lil Heathen” got hit with another leg kick. He went for a takedown himself, but wouldn’t get it. A right hand over the top connected for Moicano. More leg kicks were there for Moicano. Stephens started throwing more leg kicks of his own. A right hand landed for Stephens. “Lil Heathen” had Moicano backing up in round two.

Stephens opened the final frame with a leg kick. The two swung leather early. Moicano pushed his opponent against the fence and secured a takedown. Stephens was able to get back to his feet. A body kick was there for Moicano. Blood trickled down the nose of “Lil Heathen.” Stephens went for an uppercut, but missed. Moicano landed a combination. A leg kick was there for Stephens, but he ate a counter punch. The two exchanged strikes to end the fight.

Two of the three judges scored the fight for Moicano.

Final Result: Renato Moicano def. Jeremy Stephens via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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