Jeremy Stephens will make his unprecedented 33rd trip to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 31 as he takes on Poland’s Mateusz Gamrot in a three-round contest. This is one of 11 fights scheduled on the night, which is headlined by fellow lightweights Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises.
The 35-year old Jeremy Stephens has had his fair share of wars since signing with the world leader in mixed martial arts. He holds a record of 28-18-0, 1 NC since turning pro in 2005. For the last nine years, the Des Moines, Iowa native has been fighting in the featherweight division. He has the opportunity to make shake things up if he can pull the upset on the younger fighter.
Come fight night, Mateusz Gamrot will have 30 fewer walks to the Octagon than his opponent. But that won’t detour the man affectionately known as the “Gamer.” Gamrot is exactly that. He is 1-1 in his young UFC career. In his last fight, he showed real skill and boxing technique. Landing a precisely timed one-two that earned him a TKO victory over Scott Holtzman.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mateusz Gamrot Preview
“Lil’ Heathen” Jeremy Stephens first stepped foot in an Octagon in 2005 when he made his promotional debut against Din Thomas at UFC 71: (Chuck) Liddell vs. (Quinton) Jackson. And while Stephens has been one of the more active fighters, the vast majority of his fights have been at featherweight. He has shared the cage with the who’s who of the division, future Hall of Famers like Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, and Frankie Edgar, to name a few.
This will be Stephens’s first lightweight fight since he fought Yves Edwards at UFC on Fox 5 in 2012. That is a long time to be away from the division. And while it can be argued that it’s just ten pounds, to a fighter, ten pounds may as well be 100. Stephens will likely still have the power to separate his opponents from their consciousness at 155 pounds, but will he be giving away size to the younger Gamrot?
Fans may not know his name yet, but the pride of Poznan, Poland, is ready to put some respect on his name. Relatively unknown in the states, “Gamer” Mateusz Gamrot has been honing his craft in Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW), a European mixed martial arts league headquartered in Poland.
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Jeremy Stephens vs. Mateusz Gamrot Odds
At press time, Draftkings.com has Jeremy Stephens at a +170 underdog and Gamrot at a -200 favorite. Keep in mind these odds will change as fight night approaches.
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