SPENCER "THE KING" FISHER AND JEREMY "LIL' HEATHEN" STEPHENS TO FIGHT LIVE ON SPIKE TV SATURDAY, JUNE 21
Courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship:
The Battle Between Hawkeye Lightweights Will Be Featured On The Ultimate Fighter® Team Rampage vs Team Forrest Finale
May 18, 2008 – UFC® lightweight contender Spencer "The King" Fisher will battle fellow Iowa native and up-and-coming mixed martial artist Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens Saturday, June 21 at 9:00 pm on the undercard of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter® Team Rampage vs Team Forrest Finale. The live three hour fight card will emanate from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV and will be the first ever presented in high definition on Spike TV.
Fisher, a Bettendorf resident and Miletich Fighting Systems Camp member, is looking to rebound from a hard fought loss this past November to Frankie Edgar at UFC® 78: Validation. With wins over such highly regarded fighters as Thiago Alves, Josh Neer, Sam Stout, Matt Wiman and Dan Lauzon, the two-year veteran of the UFC has established himself as one of the stronger standup fighters within the lightweight division. A victory over the much younger Stephens will only further cement Fisher as one of the elite lightweight contenders.
Since losing his UFC® debut to Din Thomas at UFC® 71: Liddell vs. Jackson, the 21-year-old Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens has defeated both Diego Saraiva and The Ultimate Fighter® 5 contestant Cole Miller bringing his UFC® record to 2-1-0. A native of Des Moines, Iowa and a Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy member, Stephens would be thrust into the upper echelon of the division with a victory over the proven UFC® veteran Spencer Fisher.
Submission specialists go head-to-head as Salt Lake City's Jeremy Horn (88-17-5) takes on former assistant coach for The Ultimate Fighter® 3 Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister (10-5). With over 100 professional mixed martial arts fights under his belt, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist Horn looks to bounce back following a loss to Nate Marquardt
via submission at UFC® 81 Breaking Point. The 32-year-old Horn boasts an impressive list of wins over such fighters as current Ultimate Fighter® coach Forrest Griffin, Josh Burkman and former UFC® light heavyweight champ, Chuck Liddell. After spending most of 2007 recovering from a torn biceps muscle, Lister returned to the octagon this past December for UFC® 79 Nemesis, where he defeated Jordan Radev via unanimous decision.
Also on the card, The Ultimate Fighter® 2 contestant Josh Burkman (20-5) battles Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist Dustin Hazelett (12-5). Both fighters return to the octagon™ following recent losses, with Burkman falling to Mike Swick during UFC® Fight Night 12 and Hazelett suffering a TKO at UFC® 82 by Josh Koscheck.
Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman takes on Iowa native Drew McFedries (6-3) and protégé of The Ultimate Fighter® 5 coach Jens Pulver. Eastman most recently defeated Terry Martin via unanimous decision during UFC® 81 Breaking Point, while McFedries is coming off of a TKO loss to Patrick Cote at UFC® Fight Night™ Swick vs. Burkman.
*Due to time constraints, not all undercard bouts will air