Jeremy Stephens is well aware of the struggles former UFC fighters have experienced under the PFL banner.
At 2022 PFL 1, Stephens will make his debut against Clay Collard following his exit from the UFC, the place he called home since 2007. After 33 fights over 14 years, Stephens is entering the next chapter of his career with the PFL, and will carry the lessons learned from watching a pair of former UFC champions in their debuts with the promotion.
“Lil’ Heathen” is the latest of a few UFC veterans to make the switch to the promotion. Some have seen success, such as Antonio Carlos Junior, who became champion in 2021, but other high-profile signees struggled to secure victories in their debuts, such as former UFC champions Anthony Pettis and Fabricio Werdum. It’s something that Stephens is aware of and has used to stay grounded ahead of his own debut in PFL.
“The thing about MMA is I can draw from their experience,” Stephens told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a pre-fight news conference on Monday. “I can draw from Anthony’s experience inside the PFL. You know, he was getting paid a lot of money. I feel like they paid him too much dough and he sat back and thought he was gonna win on intimidation. That’s the experience that I’ve drawn from, something that I’ve learned. I’m fully prepared and in a very good battle with a game opponent.”
Pettis couldn’t get it going against Collard in his debut at 2021 PFL 1, dropping a unanimous decision. Werdum’s PFL debut initially was ruled a knockout loss to Renan Ferreira at 2021 PFL 3, but after review by the commission, was overturned to a no contest.
Stephens believes his name and his track record inside the cage won’t mean much as he prepares to fight Collard on Wednesday. He plans to bring the same intensity he typically does while ensuring he has done everything possible to prepare for the bout.
“That’s all I need,” Stephens said. “I’m not one of these guys that’s going to sit back and think my highlight tape is going to scare people. That’s just not the case. I’m very well prepared and there’s really nothing more to do. I can’t really speak on anything, just watch how my actions show up on Wednesday.”
