Jeremy Stephens is moving back to lightweight.
The longtime UFC fighter will make his divisional return April 17 against Drakkar Klose. The UFC Fight Night event does not have a publicly-known location or venue.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Thursday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) will look to pick up his first victory in six outings. He’s gone 0-4 with one no contest, a skid dating back to July 2018. Stephens most recently competed at UFC 249 in May 2020, when he was finished via strikes by Calvin Kattar. He was booked to fight Arnold Allen this past November but withdrew due to injury.
Klose (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has not competed since UFC 248 in March 2020, when his three-fight winning streak was snapped at the hands of Beneil Dariush. He was scheduled to fight Luis Pena on Feb. 20, but the fight was canceled hours before the event when Pena tested positive for COVID-19.
With the addition, the UFC’s April 17 lineup includes:
- Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker
- Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
- Parker Porter vs. Chase Sherman
- Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
- Tony Gravely vs. Nate Maness
- Austin Hubbard vs. Natan Levy
- Drakkar Klose vs. Jeremy Stephens
