Media outlets including Cageside Press were on hand for the PFL 4 official weigh-in on Thursday morning in Atlanta — where UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens turned out to be the story.
Access to the early weigh-ins was a first for the promotion, who previously only allowed media to be on hand for the ceremonial weigh-ins staged later in the day. As it turned out, the timing allowed Jeremy Stephens’ extreme attempt at making the lightweight limit to be documented — which included weighing in behind a towel, and shaving both his head and beard.
Jeremy Stephens official weigh-in#2022PFL4 pic.twitter.com/w9Dydzhx0B
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) June 16, 2022
Ultimately, Stephens hit the mark, coming in at 156 pounds for his fight against Myles Price on Friday. But clearly, it was no easy task.
Stephens (28-20, 1NC) enters the fight looking for his first win since 2018, when he scored a punishing knockout against Josh Emmett. Since that time, “Lil Heathen” has lost six bouts, with a seventh ending in a No Contest.
Most recently, the former UFC star slugged it out with Clay Collard at PFL 1 in a Fight of the Year contender, losing a unanimous decision after three rounds.
Interestingly enough, as noted by Combat Sports Law’s Erik Magraken, Georgia’s weigh-in rules require that fighters weigh in one week prior to the official weigh-in, and be within 10% of their scheduled weight. This early weigh-in must be videotaped and kept on file for a year. Currently, it’s unclear what weight Stephens hit, assuming this regulation was followed.
