As the brunt of the UFC 113 hype focuses squarely upon the Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua rematch, one bout in particular has flown almost completely under the radar. Tucked away between Kimbo Slice and the Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley match up is a potential barnburner featuring lightweights Sam Stout and Jeremy Stephens.

Both combatants are known for their aggression and willingness to engage in stand up wars. Put them together and you get an early candidate for fight of the night. With the event taking place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Stout will enjoy the home field advantage. That’s not an issue for Stephens. For him, it’s just another opportunity to widen his fan base.

“Even though I’m going into Sam Stout’s backyard, I want to continue to steal the show and pick up some fans internationally.”

Stephens is used to being booed mercilessly by the crowd. While some fighters let that kind of negativity seep into their consciousness, Stephens is able to tune out the chatter and focus on his game plan.

“I fought Joe Lauzon, and I took it on a 12-day notice. I wasn’t fully prepared for that fight, but I took it as an opportunity. When I took that, Joe Lauzon has a great fanbase, and people were kind of booing me or didn’t really know about me, but either way, it doesn’t take away from my focus. I can’t really hear out into the crowd so much. I pay attention to my coaches and my visions in my mind. I’ve meditated. Prior to this fight, I know what I’m going to do. So my main focus is standing across the ring. I don’t really care what people have to say. If they want to be my fans, they can. If not, that’s their choice. That’s nothing I can control.”

Equipped with heavy hands, Stephens has beaten the likes of Justin Bucholz and Cole Miller by TKO. His most memorable win in the Octagon was against Raphael dos Anjos at UFC 91. Stephens won by knockout, using an uppercut straight out of a video game. Highlight reel striking and a balls to the wall mentality have made Stephens an emerging fan favorite.

“I’m a finisher. Every second from when that bell rings for that whole five minutes, I’m really trying to take you out – trying to punish you. I respect all of my opponents, but I really do try and take them out of their game. It’s life or death to me in there, so I come with a lot of fierceness, a lot of power, and a lot of aggression, determination and skill.”

With his reputation starting to grow, Stephens finds himself in a precarious position. Bigger fights with bigger paychecks are coming, but sponsors have stayed hesitant thus far. To support his family, Stephens knows that he has to squeeze every dollar possible from his performances.

“I work hard; it’s my job. I have a family to support. I have a daughter and a girlfriend, and I support them. I support me, and currently, I don’t have any sponsors, so I bust my ass to get where I’m at. I try to fight for them bonus checks. I don’t slack. I’m hungry. I want to kick his ass and I’ve got to go into his backyard so I’ve got to come a lot stronger. I’ve got to be mentally and physically prepared. I want to steal the show.”

While potential fame and fortune would be a welcomed job perk, Stephens strives for longevity in a sport where its participants typically have a short shelf life.

“My goal is not to be in the UFC one time and go around and be like, ‘Yeah, I fought this guy. My goal is to be a world champion and to have a long career.”

(Source: MMA Junkie)