By Tony Reid

FloCombat- What fight from your career is your favorite right now?

Jeremy Stephens-The next one is always the biggest one. I am a person in constant improvement. There is a story of an architect who always built beautiful skyscrapers. People always asked him which was his favorite and he always said, “My next one.” No one believed him until they saw the next one. Every one that he built was a masterpiece and I feel the same way.

A comparison that comes up often is one between you and Robbie Lawler. You have both been around a long time. You have similar MMA backgrounds. You have a similar style. Do you see that comparison?

Yeah we have a lot of similarities. We are both from Iowa. We are both scrappers. Most guys don’t like to fight us where we want to fight. They want to take us down. We have wrestling, too. We have power, combinations and the mentality to finish people. I was just born with it. I found my calling a long time ago. If I smell blood I will go for the kill. The risk is worth it. That’s what has kept my family above water…just going for the big risks and getting big bonuses. The bonuses help to pay for my family and allows us to live a better life.

What do you think of the next generation of young lions coming up in the game?

These young fighters coming up are hungry. I feel like they see me as a name and want to take me out. They want a shot at me. It’s always good to have hungry wolves at your heels. It keeps you motivated. 



If you could fight anyone in any weight class who would you want to throw down with?

Back in the day I wanted to fight Chris Lytle. If I was bigger or if it was a street fight I would say Mark Hunt. I would try not to get hit by him. I would just duck my head and try to throw some bombs. I really like his style and the way he fights.

Who inspires you?

The Rock. He is a very inspirational person. He’s one of the biggest stars in the entertainment industry. He’s a ladies man. He has style and class. He is a very generous guy and he has some exciting stuff going on. He does it all well.

Word on the street is you aren’t a big fan of Justin Bieber.

If I could punch him in the face that would be great. I don’t think he has ever been checked before. I know he goes to Mayweather’s Gym but if I could catch him running his mouth, maybe catch him outside of Whole Foods, I would give him a quick mouth shot just to shut him up and sit him down on his butt. He probably wouldn’t be running his mouth after that. I think he could really use a life lesson. It’s sad because he has the money and the power to change the world. He is a talented musician. He could be a real class act but he gets classless. He isn’t the type of guy that should be running his mouth because he would get checked.

You have had your fair share of fights growing up. Share your most memorable after school fight with us.

I remember coming into fifth grade. It was right after my dad and mom had a custody issue. I was going through a really rough time. I felt like I was a little behind in school. Once my dad got custody I started a new school. I was shy. I didn’t know anybody. I wasn’t confident. I just wanted to be left alone. I didn’t want anybody to f**k with me. I wasn’t a bad looking kid so there were some girls that were talking about me at recess. I remember this one kid came up to me and said this other kid wanted to fight me because the one girl who was giving me attention was his girl.

Well, this kid lived half way between the school and my house. We set it up. We go down by a creek, down this grassy hill. It was away from the school so nobody could see. The whole school was gathered around. He was getting all pumped up. He comes at me and I just stuck my left hand out, measured my distance, closed my eyes, ducked my head and swung a big overhand and caught him. I dropped him a few times.

After dropping him two or three times he quit. He was crying. Everyone was cheering. I went home thinking I was going to get in trouble. It didn’t happen. The guy came up to me a few days later and said, "Great fight." He became one of my friends.