Following his unanimous decision loss to Frankie Edgar at UFC 205 in New York City, Jeremy Stephens (25-13) sent out an open challenge to anyone in the Ultimate Fighting Championnship’s (UFC) featherweight division. One fighter in particular that had “Lil’ Heathen’s” interest was UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn. Instead, “The Prodigy” was booked against Yair Rodriguez as the UFC Phoenix headliner.
Now, Stephens has his sights set on another 145-pound fan favorite. For years, Clay Guida (32-17) has entertained fans with his frenetic pace inside the Octagon. Stephens took to Twitter to call out “The Carpenter.”
Clay Guida- I'm a fan, but you're asking for an opponent and I've wanted this fight for years. It'll be an honor to make this fight happen. pic.twitter.com/nb8JGEUxOq
— Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) December 27, 2016
In his last six bouts, Stephens has gone 2-4. The losses have come at the hands of Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Frankie Edgar. In that rough stretch, he was able to defeat former bantamweight champion Renan Barao.
Guida has also gone 2-4 in his last six outings. He had success against Tatsuya Kawajiri and Robbie Peralta, but was finished in all of his losses during the stretch. He was knocked out by Chad Mendes and Brian Ortega. Dennis Bermudez and Thiago Tavares submitted him with chokes.
If you look at the statistics, it’s easy to tell these two are no strangers to the Octagon. Guida is 12-11 inside the Octagon, while Stephens is 12-12. Combined they have 47 fights in the UFC alone.
