Tag: Jeremy Stephens

UFC brings back Jeremy Stephens for Des Moines showdown vs. Mason Jones

The UFC reunion no one saw coming.

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] is back in the UFC.

Yes, you read that correctly. The 34-promotional fight veteran has reunited with the UFC for a home city bout at UFC on ESPN 67 on May 3 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa against another returning promotional alumnus, [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag].

The UFC made the lightweight bout official early Friday after an initial report by Full Send MMA.

Stephens (29-21 MMA, 15-18 UFC) has not competed in MMA since November 2022 and has not fought in the UFC since July 2021 when he departed the promotion. Post-UFC, Stephens went 1-2 in PFL before he ventured into the world of both gloved and bareknuckle boxing.

After a boxing draw vs. Jose Aldo and a loss to Chris Avila, Stephens signed with BKFC. He defeated Jimmie Rivera and Bobby Taylor, before he beat down Eddie Alvarez in the Knuckle Mania 5 headliner in January.

Jones (15-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) proved he deserved another look after his UFC departure in 2022. After he returned to the regional scene, Jones went 4-0 with three knockouts for Cage Warriors en route to a UFC re-onboard.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for May 3 includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Bo Nickal
  • Mason Jones vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera
  • Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
  • Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek
  • Serhiy Sidey vs. Cameron Smotherman
  • Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Azamat Bekoev vs. Ryan Loder

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 67.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Usman Nurmagomedov defends Bellator title, Conor McGregor’s career update, GFL draft, more

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” we discuss Usman Nurmagomedov’s Bellator title win, Conor McGregor’s career update, more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King, and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] was able to retain his Bellator lightweight title, but not without a fight. Nurmagomedov edged out Ireland’s [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] in a competitive fight in the main event of  PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series on Saturday. We break down this big title fight, and some of the other key results on the card.
  • MMA wasn’t the only sport around this past weekend. BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5 went down this past Saturday, and it hosted the hometown return of former UFC and Bellator champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] against [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]. Unfortunately for Alvarez, Stephens had his hand raised, as Alvarez had a corner stoppage in between Rounds 3 and 4. Immediately after the fight, Stephens had a fiery faceoff with Conor McGregor. Additionally, “Big” [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] crowned himself BKFC heavyweight champion after knocking out Mick Terrill in just 36 seconds. We react and go over the bareknuckle boxing action.
  • [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is back in the headlines. The UFC superstar was all over the map, as he was present for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration where he ran into [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag], who he’s had public discussions with about a potential boxing match. Additionally, he was in Philadelphia promoting BKFC’s KnuckleMania 5. We discuss the latest with the Irishman.
  • Global Fight League had its draft, making its first step towards inauguration this year. The newly minted MMA promotion hosted a draft show on Friday, where the leaders of six teams picked 20 fighters out of a pool of hundreds of notable MMA, including many former UFC and Bellator champions. We react to the team selections and this new format in MMA.
  • Looking ahead, the UFC returns with a Fight Night event across seas. UFC Fight Night 250 goes down this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it features a big middleweight bout between [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag] in its main event. We preview this bout, and others on the card, including [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag].

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Jeremy Stephens loved faceoff with ‘Cocaine’ Conor McGregor, declares himself real BKFC champion

Jeremy Stephens felt disrespected by many, including BKFC ownership members. Now, he’d love to fight one of them.

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] has a chip on his shoulder, particularly after going face-to-face with a riled-up [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

In the BKFC KnuckleMania 5 main event Saturday, Stephens (3-0) stormed into hostile territory in Philadelphia and took out one of the city’s favorite combat sports sons, Eddie Alvarez (1-2).

McGregor, who is a part-owner of the promotion, was ringside and entered the fight surface following the decision. The two have history (a la “Who the fook is this guy?”), and McGregor called for a fight, even though he’s still under contract with the UFC.

“Old Cocaine Conor,” Stephens said at a post-fight news conference. “He’s got a long path, bro. It’s all good promotion. I love it. I love to come in there right in front of his face and have him doubt me. I feel like (David) Feldman and him were up against me. Everybody was up against me. I came to another city. To feel this kind of resolve. Like (Israel) Adesanya said. Everybody doubted me. Everybody had me out. I went up to somebody else’s city and took out another king.

“He said I wasn’t a champion, but it ain’t hardware that makes you a champion. It’s heart. It’s grit. It’s resilience. It’s persistence. It’s willing to take a pay cut to make a delusion a reality. I bring my pain to purpose. You guys don’t know what the f*ck I had to deal with to get here. You’ll never know. But if feels f*cking good, dude. It feels f*cking good to be in this moment.”

Stephens reiterated a few times that he’s not interested in gold belts or title fights. He wants big paychecks against big names, whether it’s Mike Perry or McGregor. Stephens thinks he has the tools to defeat McGregor – maybe even in Ireland.

“Buttcheeks McGregor, that’s the one,” Stephens said. “That’s the money fight, bro. But I’ve been telling you guys, bro. … Put some respect on my name. Then he got knocked out by Poirier. I’ve got power. I’ve got calf kicks. But when it comes to bareknuckle, bro, no one is beating me.

“… Like Charles Darwin said, ‘It’s not the strongest or the smartest, it’s the person willing to adapt to change.’ Over these years, no one has f*cking done it like me. I’m looking fast. I’m looking smooth. I’ve got footwork. I’ve got feints. I’ve got a lot a skill. It’s like an onion. I’ve got a lot of skill to get past to even get to my will. If you get to my will, I will f*cking break you like I’ve broken three men in this bareknuckle game. There is no one better.”

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BKFC KnuckleMania 5 video: Jeremy Stephens batters Eddie Alvarez, squares off with Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor dropped a “who the fook is this guy” and challenged Jeremy Stephens to a fight.

In what was one of the most-attended combat sports events in Philadelphia history, [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] sent fans home disappointed.

In the BKFC KnuckleMania 5 main event, Stephens (3-0) battered home city son [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] (1-2) before a corner stoppage came between Round 3 and 4. The event took place Saturday at Wells Fargo Center with an announced attendance of 17,762.

The fight was relatively competitive for the first two rounds, but Stephens really started to pull away as Round 3 progressed. Alvarez was knocked down twice over the course of the three minutes. He handled the first knockdown well, and gave the crowd a thumbs up as he got to his feet.

The second knockdown, however, painted a grim picture. Alvarez was notably hurt by the blow and seemed to have an internal debate with himself as to whether or not he wanted to continue. Though he made referee Dan Miragliotta’s count, the round ended and he went back to his corner.

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After he spoke with his head coach Mark Henry, the corner made the decision to end the fight.

Stephens then went into full villain mode as he taunted the fans flapping his wings, a jeering nod to the Philadelphia Eagles. During his post-fight promo, Stephens was asked who he wanted next and in stepped BKFC co-owner Conor McGregor, who dropped his signature insult of “Who the fook is this guy?”

McGregor repeatedly said he’d fight Stephens and just needed a date. The two went forehead-to-forehead before they exchanged a powerful dap-up.

Up-to-the-minute BKFC KnuckleMania 5 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC: KnuckleMania 5.

BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 complete results

Check out live results of BKFC KnuckleMania 5 in Philadelphia featuring Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens and more.

BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 took place Saturday at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia in what the promotion announced as the biggest attendance for a combat sports event ever at the venue at more than 17,000.

In the main event, former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] suffered a loss to [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag].

Also on the card, the BKFC heavyweight title was claimed by former UFC heavyweight [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] against [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag].

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Check out the BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 results below:

MAIN CARD (DAZN, 9 p.m. ET)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Cody Russell def. Logan Tucker via knockout – Round 3, 0:49
  • Itso Babulaidze def. Bryan McDowell via unanimous decision (48-42, 47-43, 48-42)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC: KnuckleMania 5.

GFL draft results: Former UFC champions surprise with unexpected entries

Check out the GFL Draft results and see which of the hottest free agents and MMA legends were selected to compete in the inaugural year.

It’s not every day there’s an MMA draft, but Friday there was

The 2025 GFL Draft took place virtually with a live stream on MMA Junkie. Six teams, each representing a major city, drafted from a pool of approximately 500 fighters, including big-name free agents and rising prospects.

One-hundred-twenty athletes were be selected across 10 weight classes (heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, women’s bantamweight, women’s strawweight, and women’s atomweight). However, the weight classes are divided slightly differently than the traditional weight classes. The promotion says it’s an effort to combat weight cutting.

Click here to see which fighters are eligible for the draft.

The six teams are managed and coached by MMA notables, as follows: Dubai (manager Cain Velasquez and coach Javier Mendez); London (manager Luke Barnatt and coach Carl Prince); Los Angeles (manager Wanderlei Silva and coach Rafael Cordeiro); Miami (manager Thiago Alves and coach Conan Silveira); New York (manager TBA and coach Ray Longo); and Sao Paulo (manager Lyoto Machida and coach Andre Pederneiras.

While a specific date has yet to be revealed, the promotion says it will launch in April with regular season, semi-finals, and finals events held throughout the year.

The 2025 GFL Draft results are as follows:

Round 1

  • Pick 1 (Team Dubai): Tyron Woodley
  • Pick 2 (Team Los Angeles): Sage Northcutt
  • Pick 3 (Team London): Gegard Mousasi
  • Pick 4 (Miami): Junior Dos Santos
  • Pick 5 (Sao Paulo): Fabricio Werdum
  • Pick 6 (New York): Kevin Lee

Round 2

  • Pick 7 (New York): Chris Weidman
  • Pick 8 (Sao Paulo): Douglas Lima
  • Pick 9 (Miami): Anthony Pettis
  • Pick 10 (London): Alexander Gustafsson
  • Pick 11 (Los Angeles): Aspen Ladd
  • Pick 12 (Dubai): Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Round 3

  • Pick 13 (Dubai): Derek Brunson
  • Pick 14 (Los Angeles): Tony Ferguson
  • Pick 15 (London): Josefine Knutsson
  • Pick 16 (Miami): Yoel Romero
  • Pick 17 (Sao Paulo): Carlos Petruzzella
  • Pick 18 (New York): Holly Holm

Round 4

  • Pick 19 (New York): Melissa Amay
  • Pick 20 (Sao Paulo): Camilia Reynoso
  • Pick 21 (Miami): Natasha Kuizutina
  • Pick 22 (London): Brett Johns
  • Pick 23 (Los Angeles): Urijah Faber
  • Pick 24 (Dubai): Ali Isaev

Full team reveal (following Round 5):

Team Dubai

  • [autotag]Anastasia Nikolakakos[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Jessica Aguilar[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Faine Mesquita[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Randi Field[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Farbod Iran Nezhad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Adilet Nurmatov[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Khumoyun Tukhtamurodov[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Los Angeles

  • [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Louis Glismann[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team London

  • [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Kelly Staddon[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Josh Hill[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Norman Parke[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Miami

  • [autotag]Kayla Hracho[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Natasha Kuziutina[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Eric Shelton[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Sao Paulo

  • [autotag]Joice Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Pamela Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Camila Reynoso[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Paula Bittencourt[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Maike Linhares[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Carlos Petruzzella[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team New York

  • [autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Marisa Messer-Belenchia[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Melissa Amaya[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Phillip Hawes[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Video: Conor McGregor hosts wild BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 final faceoffs

Conor McGregor hosted the final set of BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 faceoffs with Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens and more.

BKFC will kick off its 2025 schedule in stellar fashion with its fifth annual KnuckleMania event.

BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 takes place Saturday in Philadelphia inside Wells Fargo Center, and the promotion claims it will set a gate and attendance record for combat sports in the city, even above UFC and legendary boxing headliners.

The card features a main event between former UFC and Bellator champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag], BKFC heavyweight champ [autotag]Mick Terill[/autotag] defending against [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag], an intriguing women’s bout of [autotag]Taylor Starling[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag], plus much more.

After making weight Friday morning, the prominent fighters and remainder of the card attended ceremonial weigh-ins where they squared off one final time before throwing down in the ring.

Former two-division UFC champion and part owner of BKFC Conor McGregor was on hand to experience Friday’s faceoffs, as well.

Check out the video above to see the final faceoffs ahead of BKFC: KnuckleMania 5.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC KnuckleMania 5.

Conor McGregor summons gods to turn ‘knuckles to knives’ during impassioned (and late) BKFC promo

“Sorry I’m late. I don’t give a f*ck,” Conor McGregor said.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] does as Conor McGregor wants, and that includes being late to almost every major press event.

That was no different Thursday during the BKFC KnuckleMania 5 news conference in Philadelphia. McGregor, a member of the promotion’s ownership group, unsurprisingly was running on his own time.

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“Oh, Philly,” McGregor said. “Sorry I’m late. I don’t give a f*ck. I’m the big boss around here. Philadelphia, what’s up? I’m here to summon the gods of fighting into action. May they turn our combatants’ knuckles to knives. And on Saturday night, may we all bleed in the honor of Philadelphia’s rich fighting history. May we, as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s organization, the alien of combat sport, rise above the night’s sky and rain down blows viciously, and prove our worth against any deniers.”

Saturday’s fight card takes place at Wells Fargo Center and is being touted by the promotion as the largest combat sports event in the city’s history. Atop the marquee is a hometown favorite.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] battles [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]. Both men have history with McGregor, but there was no question who he’ll be rooting for.

“May local boy and former UFC lightweight champion, former Bellator world champion, shut this man up over here, Jeremy Stephens,” McGregor said. “He’s coming in here into Philadelphia on this great sporting weekend and trying to take you out, Eddie. This is as big a fight as it gets with world title fight implications. Like I said, combatants, turn your knuckles into knives. Bleed in the honor of Philadelphia’s rich fighting history and show the people what Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is about. Let’s go, Philadelphia. Let’s go, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC KnuckleMania 5.

BKFC KnuckleMania 5 video: Conor McGregor oversees Eddie Alvarez, Jeremy Stephens faceoff

Conor McGregor arrived at the BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 press conference just in time to oversee the first fight week faceoffs in Philadelphia.

BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 fighters took the stage at a pre-fight press conference Thursday and then faced off for the first time during fight week.

Former UFC stars [autotag]Eddie Alvarez [/autotag](1-1) and [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (2-0) are set to clash in the main event of the bareknuckle boxing event at Wells Fargo Center in Alvarez’s hometown of Philadelphia.

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After speaking with the media and fans in attendance for the press conference, the fighters came face-to-face for tense faceoffs that saw BKFC co-owner [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and president David Feldman serve as the men in the middle.

You can watch the faceoffs in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC KnuckleMania 5.

Video replay: BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 pre-fight press conference

Conor McGregor, Eddie Alvarez, and Jeremy Stephens are set to participate in Thursday’s BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 press conference.

The BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the festivities at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) right here on MMA Junkie.

The press conference takes place in Philadelphia, ahead of the bareknuckle boxing event at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday. Expected to take part in the press conference are BKFC part-owner and former UFC two-division champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], president David Feldman, Philly’s own [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag], who will clash in the main event of BKFC: KnuckleMania 5.

You can watch the full BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 press conference in the video above.

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