Jeremy Stephens Feels Like The "Bigger Brother" Against Mike Perry At BKFC 82 [Exclusive]

Jeremy Stephens might be smaller than Mike Perry, but he doesn't feel that he should be the underdog in the BKFC 82 main event.

Stephen, 39, knows that the odds are stacked against him. Not only will he be the much smaller fighter, but he is only 3-0 in the BKFC, whilst Perry has become the biggest star in the sport with a 5-0 record.

However, Stephens feels that he is the much more technical and superior boxer of the two.

"I feel like I'm the big brother," Stephens told KO on SI. "I'm smarter, I'm faster, I'm defensively sound. I can see it all. I'm willing to go to the pain game and above and beyond just as well as [Mike Perry]. People thinking that I'm lighter and this and that, but you're going to have to deal with speed, crushing blows and high intellect when I'm in there. I ain't nothing to play with when it comes to f****** bare knuckle. I tell you, this is my sport. I'm the new King of Violence. King of the f****** barbarians."

Stephens knows that there is more to bare-knuckle boxing than technical punches. But since making the transition from MMA and boxing in 2023, he has left no stone unturned.

Despite his brawling style making him a perfect fit in the BKFC, Stephens admitted that he had not given the idea too much thought while he was with the UFC and PFL. Yet, once he committed to the sport, it has been nothing but smooth sailing.

"When I went into bare-knuckle, I really focused on boxing and went all in," Stephens said. "I barely watched the BKFC [when I was with the UFC]. But when I started fighting Jimmie Rivera, I started watching it and I fell in love with it. I started watching it while running on my Assault Fitness treadmill. I would just pop up a video and just started watching. Like, 'Man, what are they doing? What's really working?' And I found out that a lot of good, slick boxers are actually dominating this game.

"I fell in love with the boxing process. I was really having fun and I was noticing a lot of growth. Doing things that I wasn't normally doing. Things just started opening up for me."

Jeremy Stephens remains in control of his own destiny

Although Stephens has hit his stride with the BKFC, he is coming off a one-off fight in the UFC. The 52-fight MMA veteran returned to the Octagon after four years away in May at UFC Des Moines, where he dropped a competitive decision to Mason Jones.

Stephens admitted before the bout that he only signed a one-fight contract with the UFC and planned to return to the BKFC. He got his wish and was granted an opportunity to fight Perry, but signed yet another one-fight deal to remain in control of his fighting future.

MORE: Mike Perry Laser Focused On Jeremy Stephens In Return From Year-Long Layoff At BKFC 82 [Exclusive]

"I made this fight happen; I put it into fruition," Stephens said. "So when I win it, I'm a free agent. I get to do whatever the f*** I want. I get to call the shots, and big bags of money are coming my way."

Specifically, Stephens is preserving the opportunity to potentially fight Conor McGregor. BKFC president David Feldman teased the fight for the winner of the BKFC 82 main event. But while McGregor is a part-owner of the BKFC, he remains under contract with the UFC.

Should Stephens beat Perry, he does not see that becoming an issue.

"BKFC, UFC, you cannot run from me. I'm the only motherf***** with no contract. I can do it all. White House, bare knuckle. That's why I get to go out there and break this motherf*****'s neck like the check, and the opportunity that comes with it, whopping your f****** boss, that's on the line. No one better doing it like me."

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