Jeremy Stephens on Yair Rodriguez fight: ‘If he don’t die, it don’t count’

Jeremy Stephens says that his beef with fellow featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez is personal.

In the co-main event of UFC Boston on Friday, Stephens and Rodriguez are running things back.

The two headlined UFC Mexico City on Sept. 21 where the fight ended in just 15-seconds due to an accidental eye poke. Yair Rodriguez immediately said Jeremy Stephens could fight and he wanted a way out. Yet, no one truly knew the seriousness of ‘Lil Heathen’s’ injury, but it was enough that after five minutes, he still could not open his damaged eye.

After the fight, things got heated between them in a run-in at the hotel. Ahead of the rematch, Jeremy Stephens knows this fight is personal and now, it involves his family.

“I feel good,” Jeremy Stephens said after open workouts. “Cool as a cucumber. Calm like a bomb. Ready to go off. I’m gonna kill this kid. If he don’t die, it don’t count. That’s what I’m thinking. It’s always personal. It’s always personal when you fight, this kid’s trying to take money off my kid’s table. What if I was coming into your house, taking food off your table and smacking your kid? That’s the way I look at it. How would you feel if I was to do that? Personal? F**k yeah, it’s personal.

“It’s a fight. You only get one cheque if you lose, you think this is a game? You think this is a sport? It’s not a sport, it’s fist fighting bro. I’m fighting for my blood, I’m fighting for my family every time I step in there.”

Jeremy Stephens is looking to snapping his three-fight skid, where he has lost to Jose Aldo and Zabit Magomedhsaripov then the no-contest to Yair Rodriguez. There is no question he is motivated for this fight.

What do you make of Jeremy Stephens’ comments toward Yair Rodriguez? Sound off in the comments section, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/15/2019.