Jeremy Stevens was always open to UFC reunions, especially if he could ultimately fight “Cocaine Conor McGregor.”

Jeremy Stevens left the UFC on good terms, but there was shock and adoration that he suddenly returned to his old stomping ground for a fight against Mason Jones on May 2nd in the upcoming UFC Des Moines Card.

It makes sense to be fighting in Iowa now, but Stephens has a massive victory over former BKFC UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, and his future appears to be set as a naked knuckle fighter. It all changed when Stevens suddenly returned to the UFC roster, but even after he smashed Alvarez’s jaw in January, he never discounted that possible reunion.

Only days after that fight, Stevens said he was open to the MMA fight, particularly if he could ultimately lead to a fight with Conor McGregor.

“I have the opportunity to go to the UFC and I’m fighting Connor there, BKFC, he’s the owner there,” Stevens said in January. “I put myself in this f*cking moment. I put it all in danger to me. I made this clear. I turned my delusion into reality.

“I told the motherf*ckers, you throw darts in the middle of the US, 505, it lands in Des Moines, Iowa, and pumps this country, and I have all the hearts of hearts. No one has a heart more than me.”

Stevens knew he was in the perfect position to take advantage of the great opportunity after his victory over Alvarez, as he was not locked up in a long-term contract.

Returning to the UFC doesn’t mean he won’t fight again at BKFC, but Stevens realized that this possibility exists.

“I’m a free agent and I managed to have one fight in the UFC,” Stevens said. “(Conor McGregor) over as part of the owner in BKFC. It’s a delusion of reality. When you close your eyes, they never lie. That’s a real f*cking quote. I’ve been saying it all day long.

After he claimed one of the biggest wins of his career by defeating Alvarez, Stevens stared at McGregor in the ring along with the Irish superstar, promising to meet in the future without wearing gloves.

McGregor, who became part owner of BKFC in 2024, plans to eventually crossover into the naked knuckle fight, but has vowed many times that there are still two matches left on his UFC contract.

That’s why Stevens didn’t underestimate the possibility of a return to the UFC, hoping that after four years of layoffs, he would have the opportunity to get McGregor back into the cage after suffering a devastating broken leg in his final appearance in 2021.

“He’s having fun. ‘Cocaine Connor,’ he’s having fun,” Stevens said. “He’s advertised. He’s not emotionally attached. You can see when I look at my mother’s eyes. He’s already reaching out as we locked (eyes). He’s here for promotion. A more scarier and violent man.

“I can do MMA too. Connor can avoid these boxers, he can kick them, knock them down, squeeze out f*ck, so he almost breaks.

The history between fighters traces back to the infamous interaction at the 2016 UFC 205 press conference, where Stevens piped him to be the featherweight of the most striking blows after being asked about McGregor along with him.

McGregor replied, “Who is that guy?” And the New York City crowd was torn apart with laughter and applause.

Since then, Stephens has been around a potential showdown against McGregor and now he’s back in the UFC, so that may ultimately be a real possibility.

“People say, ‘Do you really think you can beat Connor?’ he has a human,” Stevens said. “Yeah, I know I can. In this age, ‘Cocaine Connor’, I knock him out. With a naked knuckle, it would be even worse for him.

“But I’m the guy. You can actually go to the UFC and fight one fight over there if it was unfolding. A fantasy of reality, that’s an opportunity. It’s not too far now.”

Shortly after signing back to the UFC, Stephens sent his rivalry with McGregor to “The Notorious,” reminding them that their business is far from over.

“BKFC, UFC, Conor McGregor you can’t get away from me,” Stephens wrote on Twitter. “I’ll find you, and I’ll kill your boy! Your time is over, I have you a front row seat in Iowa, my hometown, Wells Fargo Event Center.