Jeremy Stephens is about to make his second walk to the Professional Fighters League cage on PFL 4. He is set to fight Myles Price in the lightweight division. However, a massive controversy has erupted ahead of the bout. Jeremy Stephens has allegedly cheated on the scales to make weight for the event.
The promotion held its weigh-ins for the event recently and to the shock of many, Stephens came out with a bald look. Not only did he shave his head, but Jeremy also got rid of his hair in order to make the weight. Even that did not help to make the required weight of 156lbs. Stephens allegedly cheated on the scale as he did not position himself correctly.
https://t.co/9ACvbWaoil pic.twitter.com/HIa0yolUrj
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) June 16, 2022
In a photo posted on Twitter by photographer Amy Kaplan, Stephens could be seen standing on the edges of the scale. It allowed him to prevent the scale from getting an accurate estimate of his weight. However, this is pure speculation as there have not been any official complaints regarding the matter just yet.
Commission slipped up here IMO, not good. pic.twitter.com/dhABGvTw8o
— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) June 16, 2022
Although this is not the same, former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier also resorted to dirty tactics ahead of fighting Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson at UFC 210. DC allegedly leaned in to hold his towel to make weight for the bout.
The incident does not come as a surprise to fans who have followed him for a meaningful period of time. Stephens was a regular feature of the UFC’s featherweight division and he missed weight three times. Hence, he does have a history of not being able to come under the mandatory weight limit.
Jeremy Stephens was let go by the UFC in January
Jeremy Stephens was part of the UFC since 2007. He made his debut against Din Thomas in a losing effort. Since then he went on to fight in the promotion 34 more times and ended his run with a record of 15 wins and 17 losses with 1 no contest.
Any other fighter would have gotten cut from the promotion a long time ago. But Jeremy’s exciting style and willingness to accept tough fights kept him alive in the promotion. From Max Holloway to Zabit Magomedsharipov, the 36-year-old has fought all the big names in the promotion. Jeremy’s record of 10 post-fight bonuses sums up his approach to fighting perfectly.
But the relationship ended on a bad note as the promotion decided not to renew Jeremy’s contract at the beginning of this year. Stephens was on 6 fight streak without a win in the UFC prior to his departure. He also lost to Clay Collard on his PFL debut as well in April of this year.