Jeremy Stephens, knockout artist and master chef, has a better recipe than your grandma

ORLANDO, Fla. – With nearly 11 years in the UFC, Jeremy Stephens is the absolute definition of an octagon veteran. And the featherweight slugger believes that experience has all built to this moment, when he’s finally ready to come into his own.

“It’s like a recipe,” Stephens told reporters at Wednesday’s open workout session in Florida. “You throw in the ingredients, you cook it up, and it’s starting to get hot, but it’s just a little too soon. You taste it, it may be a little too tart – the ingredients haven’t really developed yet; they haven’t really had time to disperse amongst the whole meal. I feel like now, 31, 32 years of age, getting to this point in my career and fighting the best of the best, it’s an awesome recipe – kind of like your grandma’s, you know?”

Stephens’ particular recipe has included as many sour notes as it has sweet, but at 31, “Lil’ Heathen” seems to have finally balanced his professional palate. Stephens (27-14 MMA, 14-13 UFC) has impressed of late in back-to-back wins over Dooho Choi and Gilbert Melendez and now competes in his second UFC main event in six weeks, facing Josh Emmett (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in the headliner of Saturday’s FOX-broadcast UFC on FOX 28 event at Amway Center in Orlando.

“My career has been ups and downs, but you can’t measure what I have in my heart and my mind,” Stephens said. “You can’t put that on a scale. It’s second to none. I outwork anybody. At this point, at my age, I’m doing more than what I was doing at 21, 22 years of age. Mu punch count is doubled, and I love it.

“This is a lifestyle. This isn’t a camp. This is what I do, man. I’ve been begging to get fights like this for a long time. Finally, we get this opportunity.”

Despite just five fights in the UFC, Emmett actually enters the contest with a bit more hype after scoring a massive upset over perennial contender Ricardo Lamas at this past December’s UFC on FOX 26.

Stephens is respectful of his Team Alpha Male opponent but believes the intangibles will ultimately prove there is a vast difference between the two fighters.

“Josh comes from a great camp,” Stephens said. “They’re well-prepared. Those guys know me. I fought their head coach. I fought their teammates. I’ve trained with them. They’ve been in the back rooms with me many times. They know what I’m about. They know what I bring to the table, but again, there’s things that you can’t measure.

“I think stylistically, Josh is a great matchup for me. He’s a competitor. I’m a fighter who can compete. My hunger is deep.”

On Saturday, only one featherweight will be able to enjoy a victory meal. While the main event admittedly isn’t receiving much fanfare ahead of time, it’s certainly a key moment in both fighters’ careers, especially if they hope to be seen as viable contenders.

For Stephens, it’s been quite the journey and unquestionably a slow boil to the top. But as your grandma will likely attest, you can’t rush quality, and Stephens’ says his recipe is absolutely world-class.

“It’s just right,” Stephens said. “If you sit down, it will be ready to eat.”

To hear more from Stephens, check out the video above.

For more on UFC on FOX 28, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.