UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Though the fight never took place inside the cage, Jeremy Stephens considers his experience in the lead-up to his canceled Drakkar Klose matchup a victory within itself.
On April 16 in Las Vegas, both Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) and Klose (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) made weight ahead of UFC on ESPN 22. Things took an awry turn after an intense faceoff ended when Stephens shoved Klose with two hands. The next day, the fight was canceled. Klose withdrew and cited neck problems and a concussion.
“It was just an experience,” Stephens told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I got paid a little bit of money just to go weigh in. I showed up, and he didn’t, you know? I never thought a push would go this far. I didn’t think he was going to act like that, respond like that and come at the UFC like that and make it a whole spectacle. From what I’ve heard, I feel like Dana (White) had my back, the company had my back.
“I missed out on an opportunity to go in there, perform. At all levels, I can look at it transparently. I’m very totally cool with exactly what I did. I’m a fighter. I’m primal in those moments.”
As for why things got physical, Stephens points to Klose as the one who started it. According to Stephens, he felt Klose was getting too close for comfort, which he did not like.
“Come up or not, hands behind your back, put your nose to nose with me, you broke conduct first,” Stephens said. “I didn’t come up to you. And if you watch a video, he’s cutting off the ring. I could see it in his eyes. He wants to come at me? Days before that, we were at the UFC PI, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ His wife or girlfriend or fiancee was like, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ His whole team was all cool, but I could see he was kind of getting crazy in there, and he’s kind of cutting off. As I got closer, he still kind of continued and got closer and closer. It was just a primal instinct to shove that motherf*cker back.
“Do I wish I would’ve went in there and highlighted him? I mean, what do you think I was going to do? I was going to f*cking try to concuss him on Saturday. I mean, you know how I get down. He didn’t show up, and that’s that’s that. I got a call from the UFC, and we get another fight, move on. What can I say? It was just an experience.”
Stephens, 35, returns at UFC on ESPN 26 on July 17 when he takes on former KSW champion Mateusz Gamrot in a lightweight matchup. Klose, meanwhile, has not competed since the shove incident occurred.
Klose’s team recently informed MMA Junkie he still deals with issues related to the shove. He’s undergone two procedures on his neck and is seeing a concussion specialist who has recommended he take at least three more months off.
“I don’t know what’s going on with him,” Stephens said. “He got knocked out pretty bad the fight before. If UFC wasn’t covering his coverage, that’s not the way to go about it. Reach out, call the f*cking medical (team) if you’re really hurt. I don’t feel like I caused a concussion. He just wasn’t ready. I came too hungry. If you watch his interviews, he’s switching camps. He’s dealing with these injuries. He’s got a bunch of f*cking excuses and bullsh*t. If you watch my interviews, I was talking about my mom. I’m coming here hungry.
“I feel like my presence and the primal boom pushed him. I saw it in his eyes, bro, right then and there. From a fighter and a man to a man, when you get face-to-face with somebody, you just f*cking know, ‘I got you.’ He didn’t show up. He didn’t show up. I felt like I came too hungry, too primal.”
A rebooking against Klose isn’t something Stephens is interested in. In his mind, the battle was won when Klose pulled out of the fight. Stephens said he has no ill-will for Klose or his team but doesn’t like the way they handled things.
“It’s a fight I won,” Klose said. “I won. I got paid a little bit of money. I feel like I won. I showed up. He didn’t. He was claiming like, ‘Oh, I’m going to do this, do that.’ He was, like, crying. Bro, you should have just showed up and fought. But he didn’t. I don’t have any ill-will toward ‘Jaffar’ or anybody in his crew. I moved on. I’m at peace with myself. I’m very happy the way that I showed up, primally ready to f*cking fight. You know, Dana says that I’m a savage. I’m there to fight that. You can just tell, again, by my interview, I showed up hungry. I conquered. I won.”
UFC on ESPN 26 takes place Saturday, July 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card airs on ESPN/ESPN+.
Check out MMA Junkie’s full interview with Jeremy Stephens below.
