UFC: Mason Jones beats hometown hero Jeremy Stephens on return

Jones made his UFC debut in 2021, having won the first 10 MMA fights of his career, but won only one of four fights in the organisation.

He left following defeat by Slovakia’s Ludovit Klein in 2022.

Stephens was also making his return to UFC after almost four years away from the promotion, and he and the Welsh fighter traded kicks and blows for two rounds before Jones successfully switched tactics to grappling in the final round.

Before taking on Jones, Stephens fought 34 times in UFC, winning 15 bouts, but he left following a five-fight losing streak, fighting in the PFL in 2022 and winning three Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).

However, Stephens could not repeat those feats against Jones, who told the UFC website: “My chin wasn’t really tested. There was one good shot… I thought, ‘oh, that’s dangerous’, but nothing he really hit me with really caused that much damage. I’m bruised but if you watch my fights, I bruise all the time.”

Jones added: “My kicking landed, my striking landed and I kept composed all the way through it.”