Des Moines, IA — Jeremy Stephens isn’t the only fighter returning to the UFC in Des Moines, Iowa this Saturday night.
Stephens is booked into a lightweight clash with Mason Jones, a former Cage Warriors double champion whose first stint with the UFC ended in 2022. Jones (15-2, 1NC) had entered the company with a fair amount of hype, and big things were expected. The 1-2, 1NC run that ensued didn’t live up to those admittedly lofty expectations, leading to “The Dragon” being shown the door.
Four more wins in Cage Warriors and Jones is back, however, booked into a fight with Des Moines native Stephens, whos signed with the UFC when Mason Jones was just seven years old. The hometown fight for Stephens means Jones will be in hostile territory at the Wells Fargo Arena, but the 30-year old sounds well-prepared.
“I’m Welsh. I’m looking forward to it,” Jones told media outlets including Cageside Press this week, speaking at the UFC Des Moines media day. “If someone doesn’t spit on me, I’m probably going to be annoyed.”
That may not come to pass, whether Jones is annoyed or not. “Everyone keeps saying how nice the Des Moines are, the Des Monians, however you say it,” he added.
“It’s not something I worry about. I’m going in there to do a job, I’m going in there to destroy a man. A man who’s 39, he’s nine almost ten years my senior. I’m going in there to finish his career. For me, the crowd doesn’t matter. Jeremy doesn’t matter. All that matters is me showing I deserve to be here, and how good I can perform, and putting my footstep back on that ladder,” explained Jones, who clearly is looking to rewrite a bit of history with his return to the UFC. “Because my last trip here, my last four fights I had on the UFC roster, none of them went well. None of them performed. I had issues and problems and all the excuses you can imagine.”
That’s in stark contrast to his latest fight camp. This time around, “everything’s gone well. There’s no injuries. My camp’s gone brilliant, I feel fantastic,” stated Jones. “So Saturday night I get to go out there and put on the pinnacle performance I can do, and show the world that I’m going to be in the top 15, and show the world I’m going to be top 10, I’m going to be top 5, and I’m going to contest for that belt one day.”
Jones also had a little message for anyone who might doubt those claims. “For those looking at this interview before the fight thinking ‘hmmm,’ just wait.”
Watch Mason Jones’ full UFC Des Moines media day appearance above.
