Jeremy Stephens: I'm there if someone drops out of UFC title fight

ST. LOUIS – After dismantling Dooho Choi in Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 124’s main event, Jeremy Stephens has a few ideas as to what can be next for him.

One of them, we know, is Brian Ortega (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC). Stephens (27-14 MMA, 14-13 UFC) made that one quite clear while still in the octagon immediately after dispatching Choi (14-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in the second round of their “Fight of the Night” headliner at Scotttrade Center in St. Louis.

Backstage, Stephens elaborated.

“I know he’s in front of me, coming off a good win, a grappling win,” Stephens said after the FS1-televised featherweight bout. “Stylistically, I’m a striker, and he’s a grappler. I’m good at not getting submitted. I think that calls for a good fight.”

It wouldn’t be an entirely unreasonable matchup. With Ortega’s recent upset of perennial contender Cub Swanson, both fighters are coming off big finishes in UFC headliners. Stephens is now on his first winning streak since 2014, after mangling Gilbert Melendez’s legs en route to a UFC 215 win this past September.

But then there’s the fact that Ortega, who’s never lost an MMA bout, is now on a five-fight winning streak in his unbeaten UFC run. And taking out the experienced Swanson in such fashion has probably catapulted him into the 145-pound title picture.

That’s exactly where Ortega is aiming, according to what Stephens could gather from a post-fight exchange with “T-City.”

“He’d rather sit on his ass and wait for a paycheck,” Stephens said. “I just won a (expletive)-ton of money tonight by being active, so that’s the way I want to be. If he wants to wait, fine. But who’s in front of me? Let’s go.”

Stephens is right in that a title shot at this point will most likely take waiting. After all, champ Max Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) already has a title defense scheduled for UFC 222 on March 3, against former lightweight champion and two-time featherweight challenger Frankie Edgar (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) .

But as their own failed original booking showed, just because a fight is set to take place doesn’t mean that it will. In the event of that happening again, Stephens would like to throw his name in the hat.

“Bring me someone who’s close to the title,” Stephens said. “If not, I’m there if somebody drops out of the title (fight). I fought both them guys. Max Holloway, he danced around and ran. (Stephens lost an unanimous decision at UFC 194.) He didn’t fight me like he fought Jose Aldo. I feel like I can make the adjustments now.

“Frankie Edgar, I really wasn’t with the Alliance camp around that fight. (Stephens lost an unanimous decision at UFC 205.) I would love to go back and fight him again with (coach) Eric Del Fierro in my corner. I feel like I’ve made those good adjustments, and I learned a lot from those losses. Those were very tough guys, at the top of the division. And I had razor-close decisions with them. I’m one fight away – if not, I’m right there.”

Of course, this rides on one big if. So how about Darren Elkins (24-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC), who called for a No. 1 contender fight on Sunday after picking up a “Performance of the Night” bonus with yet another comeback win?

“I already whooped Darren Elkins’ ass, so – next?” Stephens said.

To hear more from Stephens on his big win, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 124, check out the UFC Events section of the site.