Former UFC champion praises Welsh fighter Mason Jones as he spoils opponent’s homecoming in bloody win
Mason Jones left Henry Cejudo very impressed by his victory at UFC Des Moines on Saturday night. The Welsh fighter secured a unanimous decision victory over MMA veteran Jeremy Stephens, who entered the fight as the hometown favourite on his return after nearly four years away from the company. Jones went to war with Stephens at UFC Des Moines in IowaGetty The Welshman cruised to a unanimous decision victory with all three judges scoring it 30-27Getty Jones, 30, was also coming back after a three-year hiatus, having resigned for Cage Warriors after an unsuccessful UFC debut to work on improving his game. He told talkSPORT.com before fighting Stephens that he would showcase ‘a clean, crisp’ version of himself in Des Moines, Iowa. And that’s exactly what the Welshman did, earning high praise from those at the very top of the sport’s summit. “Great fight between Jones and Stephens,” former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medallist Cejudo said. “Barn burner through two rounds, high IQ performance put forth by Jones to seal the victory in the third. Fight of the night!” After landing several nasty leg kicks in the opening round, both men traded heavy leather in a violent second five minutes. He then successfully utilised his grappling in the third to control Stephens on the ground as all three judges scored the contest 30-27 in his favour. Jones was slightly disappointed he didn’t get the stoppage in his post-fight interview, but acknowledged it wasn’t exactly an easy task. “I just want to go out there and destroy people,” he said. “I hit Jeremy with so many big shots and I was wrecking the body. “I felt like I could’ve finished him…the guy is durable, he’s very durable.” Jones asserted he wanted the KO, but said Stephens was very ‘durable’Getty He made his UFC debut in January 2021 and this was his fifth fight in the promotionGetty Stephens is eight years Jones’ senior, having made his UFC debut in 2007, but hadn’t competed in MMA since November 2022. But he has now suffered 20 UFC defeats, equalling Clay Guida for the most defeats in the promotion’s history. Jones, meanwhile, had built up a four-fight win streak under the Cage Warriors banner, and looked a much improved version of his former self. ‘The Dragon’ suffered a narrow unanimous decision defeat to Ludovit Klein in his last UFC fight in July 2022. This came after he had defeated David Onama nine months prior to secure his first UFC win, following a sour end to his second fight in the promotion. Jones lost out to Mike Davis via unanimous decision on his UFC debut in January 2021, before his next bout was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from the Welshman in the second round. Cory Sandhagen stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event at UFC Des MoinesGetty The American had Figueiredo floored and forced him to tap after a freak injuryGetty He is aiming to stay busy this year through at least two more fights, before targeting the top 15 UFC lightweight division, which is currently ruled by the likes of Paddy Pimblett and Islam Makhachev. “For my career to flourish, his must end and I had to finish that,” Jones added. “I had to finish his career, and I wanted to send him to retirement, and I wanted to knock him out so badly, but he is who he is. “He’s Jeremy Stephens and when that name came across my desk I was like, ’Listen, I’m going to give him a fire fight.’” Elsewhere at UFC Des Moines, No. 4-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen defeated veteran Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event to bolster his chances of a future shot at Merab Dvalishvili’s title. Sandhagen had control of Figueiredo on the ground in round two and the 37-year-old Brazilian’s left knee popped out of place, forcing him to tap due to the pain. Reinier de Ridder, meanwhile, slapped Bo Nickal with his first career defeat in the co-main after dropping the American with a brutal knee in the second round.
Mason Jones left Henry Cejudo very impressed by his victory at UFC Des Moines on Saturday night.
The Welsh fighter secured a unanimous decision victory over MMA veteran Jeremy Stephens, who entered the fight as the hometown favourite on his return after nearly four years away from the company.
Jones, 30, was also coming back after a three-year hiatus, having resigned for Cage Warriors after an unsuccessful UFC debut to work on improving his game.
He told talkSPORT.com before fighting Stephens that he would showcase ‘a clean, crisp’ version of himself in Des Moines, Iowa.
And that’s exactly what the Welshman did, earning high praise from those at the very top of the sport’s summit.
“Great fight between Jones and Stephens,” former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medallist Cejudo said.
“Barn burner through two rounds, high IQ performance put forth by Jones to seal the victory in the third. Fight of the night!”
After landing several nasty leg kicks in the opening round, both men traded heavy leather in a violent second five minutes.
He then successfully utilised his grappling in the third to control Stephens on the ground as all three judges scored the contest 30-27 in his favour.
Jones was slightly disappointed he didn’t get the stoppage in his post-fight interview, but acknowledged it wasn’t exactly an easy task.
“I just want to go out there and destroy people,” he said. “I hit Jeremy with so many big shots and I was wrecking the body.
“I felt like I could’ve finished him…the guy is durable, he’s very durable.”
Stephens is eight years Jones’ senior, having made his UFC debut in 2007, but hadn’t competed in MMA since November 2022.
But he has now suffered 20 UFC defeats, equalling Clay Guida for the most defeats in the promotion’s history.
Jones, meanwhile, had built up a four-fight win streak under the Cage Warriors banner, and looked a much improved version of his former self.
‘The Dragon’ suffered a narrow unanimous decision defeat to Ludovit Klein in his last UFC fight in July 2022.
This came after he had defeated David Onama nine months prior to secure his first UFC win, following a sour end to his second fight in the promotion.
Jones lost out to Mike Davis via unanimous decision on his UFC debut in January 2021, before his next bout was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from the Welshman in the second round.
He is aiming to stay busy this year through at least two more fights, before targeting the top 15 UFC lightweight division, which is currently ruled by the likes of Paddy Pimblett and Islam Makhachev.
“For my career to flourish, his must end and I had to finish that,” Jones added.
“I had to finish his career, and I wanted to send him to retirement, and I wanted to knock him out so badly, but he is who he is.
“He’s Jeremy Stephens and when that name came across my desk I was like, ’Listen, I’m going to give him a fire fight.’”
Elsewhere at UFC Des Moines, No. 4-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen defeated veteran Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event to bolster his chances of a future shot at Merab Dvalishvili’s title.
Sandhagen had control of Figueiredo on the ground in round two and the 37-year-old Brazilian’s left knee popped out of place, forcing him to tap due to the pain.
Reinier de Ridder, meanwhile, slapped Bo Nickal with his first career defeat in the co-main after dropping the American with a brutal knee in the second round.
