Jeremy Stephens has a chip on his shoulder, particularly after going face-to-face with a riled-up Conor McGregor.
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.”
Related
BKFC KnuckleMania 5 video: Jeremy Stephens batters Eddie Alvarez, squares off with Conor McGregor
BKFC: KnuckleMania 5 complete results
BKFC: KnuckleMania 5: Best photos from Philadelphia
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jeremy Stephens loved faceoff with ‘Cocaine’ Conor McGregor, declares himself real BKFC champion
