After being scratched from last weekend’s UFC fight card, Drakkar Klose has a new opponent.
Jeremy Stephens will return to the lightweight division for the first time since 2012, and he will fight Klose on April 17. MMA Junkie was first to report the news.
Stephens (28-18) has not fought in the lightweight division since December 8, 2012, when he fought Yves Edwards at UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz. “Lil Heathen” has since fought the who’s who of the featherweight division. Stephens will be looking to get his first win since he knocked out Josh Emmett in 2018 in a main event scrap. He has gone 0-4 with one no contest since that victory. As an aside, Stephens did miss weight his last time out by 4.5 lbs.
That should no longer be an issue at lightweight.
Klose (11-2-1) was scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis against Jai Herbert, and then against Luis Pena. But just a few hours before the event, he tested positive for COVID-19. Klose had a three-fight win streak snapped by Beneil Dariush at UFC 248 last March. Dariush finished Klose via knockout in the second round in one of the most memorable knockouts of 2020. Klose hasn’t fought since.
The UFC’s April 17 fight card still has no known location but now looks like:
- Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker
- Drakkar Klose vs. Jeremy Stephens
- Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
- Parker Porter vs. Chase Sherman
- Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
- Tony Gravely vs. Nate Maness
- Austin Hubbard vs. Natan Levy
