MEXICO CITY – If you’re worried about whether or not Jeremy Stephens is prepared for the rigors of fighting at Mexico City’s mile-high elevation, just know he received the blessing of cardio machine Tony Ferguson.
Of course, earning such an honor doesn’t come easy.
Stephens (28-16 MMA, 15-15 UFC) takes on Mexico’s Yair Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the featherweight headliner of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 17 event, which takes place at Mexico City Arena and streams on ESPN+.
Stephens spent the final month of his preparation in Zacatecas, Mexico, which sits some 3,000 feet higher above sea level than Mexico City. But before heading there, he spent some training with Ferguson, the former UFC interim lightweight champion known as “El Cucuy.” It was there Stephens received first-hand experience with Ferguson’s legendary workouts.
At Thursday’s UFC on ESPN+ 17 media day, Stephens recounted the evening Ferguson gave his stamp of approval. It came after the two had already spent six-and-a-half hours training earlier in the day.
“We’re chilling out, watching ‘Rocky IV,’ and he’s like, ‘Let’s hit this run,'” Stephens remembered.” I thought he was (expletive) joking. I’m like, ‘OK, we’re not going to run. He’s tired.’ Sure enough, midnight hits, and we go off on this run.
“It’s like 1 in the morning, and I’m running up this hill, and he’s like, ‘Bro, I need you to sprint up this (expletive) hill, bro. Everything you’ve got.’ I’m like, ‘OK.’ I’m tired. I actually ran in the morning and then went and trained with him.”
But Stephens wasn’t about to punk out in front of “El Cucuy.” Instead, he answered the challenge. What he didn’t know was that conquering the hill was only half the task.
“So I’m running up this hill, and ‘El Cucuy,’ the boogeyman, is like, ‘I’m going to get you! I’m going to get you!'” Stephens said. “I’m (expletive) running my ass off, bro. He’s actually coming! He’s coming up the hill. He’s trying to chase me. He’s like, ‘Don’t let me catch you! I’m going to get you!’
“The boogeyman is screaming at me. Like, what the (expletive)?”
Stephens said he and Ferguson formed quite the bond during their time training together, and despite some previous tension between the two, “Lil’ Heathen” said he plans to continue the partnership, even volunteering himself to help “El Cucuy” prep for his next fight, which is expected to be against undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
But first up, Stephens has Rodriguez on his radar, and he said that wild night with Ferguson helped him know his preparation is on point.
“Tremendous experience,” Stephens said. “I had a smile on my face the whole time I sprinted up that hill. He gave me the best compliment I think anybody could give me. He says, ‘Man, you’re in (expletive) phenomenal shape.’
“For ‘El Cucuy’ to tell you that six weeks out from a fight? We’re ready, bro.”
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