In the main headliner of UFC 226 Pay-Per-View event featherweight champion, Max Holloway was scheduled to defend his title against undefeated Brian Ortega, but ‘Blessed’ pulled out of the bout after showing concussion-like symptoms that left Ortega without the dancing partner.
Jeremy Stephens who called UFC president Dana White to fill in for Max Holloway but Ortega says no, opted to wait for Holloway to return and have UFC to re-book their title fight again.
Jeremy Stephens who’s gearing up to face former featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC on FOX 30 on July 28, didn’t like Ortega ducking him. (MMAMania)
“It’s really not my concern what that guy does. I stepped up and he stepped back. It is what it is, what can I do about it? I don’t want to sit here and talk about the guy, I really don’t know him personally,” he said. “I am willing to fight and all I know is that this is the third time that my name has been in his ear. He has seen me fight a lot, in the front row, and seen me knock a motherfucker out. I mean, you tell me.”
On being asked, If Ortega is by purposely avoiding his fight, Jeremy simply said, that’s the fact.
“Those are facts, bro. Deny all you want, he stepped back and I stepped up. They said they were going to fight somebody else, Frankie, and I said take it and then they called it off,” he said.
Stephen’s willing to pull out of his upcoming fight against Aldo and vows to pull ‘T-City’ gangster card in a backyard fight.
“I told Dana that I will go to that kid’s mama’s house in L.A. and fight him in his front yard. I’ll fight him August 4, why not? Jose Aldo lost two title fights, he is out. I’ve been in the sport 11 years, putting on dominant performances, why not give him to me right now? Let’s set it up for September 8,”
With an unclear diagnosis of Holloway, Dana White said lately, ‘Blessed’ isn’t fighting anytime soon until he is clear medically. In the midst of that, Stephens is ready to give another shot at Ortega and willing to fight at upcoming UFC 227 card in Los Angeles.
“This kid is ducking me. Whether I fight Jose or not, they can pull me off this card and I will fight this kid in L.A. on August 4. I will go to his backyard, fight him there and pull his gangster card,” he added. “I saw on Embedded where he is talking about he used to show up to domes and bar fights where you look at a guy, you are the same weight and you fought. Well I don’t know if he was there with his little jiu-jitsu crew watching guys like me who actually stepped up and fought grown men when I was 16 years old and I wasn’t even supposed to be there. That was me, I was really living that type of life. I do this shit for fun, because I love it,” concluded a fired-up Stephens.”
Before Jeremy throw his hands at Ortega, he needs to get past Jose Aldo at UFC on FOX 30 event on July 28.
