Jeremy Stephens Looking to Take Out ‘Mentally Broken’ Renan Barao

When former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao makes his debut as a featherweight, he will have the hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens there to greet him. Stephens wasn’t put in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night to make Barao look good; this is a litmus test to see where both fighters are at in their respective careers. In a way, this could be a do-or-die bout for both fighters. Stephens is coming off his third loss in four fights after dropping a decision to Max Holloway at UFC 194. If he wants to be a contender at 145 pounds, sticking it to the Brazilian is a necessity. As for Barao, after a torrid run through the bantamweight division — where he amassed a 32 fight unbeaten streak — the Nova Uniao fighter’s invincibility came crashing down when he lost a pair of fights by knockout to T.J. Dillashaw. Now, Barao will venture north to see if his fortunes will change. Stephens hopes that we see the best that Barao has to offer, but he isn’t quite sure about the Brazilian’s mindset. “A guy who doesn’t hit hard has knocked him out twice in these …

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