A featherweight bout between Jeremy Stephens (20-9 MMA, 7-8 UFC) and Estevan Payan (14-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the latest addition to May's UFC 156 event, the UFC's annual Memorial Day weekend show.
UFC officials today announced the bout.
UFC 160 takes place May 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Stephens vs. Payan likely will be part of the prelims.
Stephens, who drops from lightweight, is likely fighting for his job following a three-fight losing streak, an October arrest on a 2011 assault charge, and a subsequent knockout loss to Yves Edwards. Once one of the UFC's more entertaining 155-pounders, Stephens has gone more than two years with a stoppage victory. He's also fallen short against the division's upper division, including Joe Lauzon, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone.
He can get back on track against Payan, a recent Strikeforce import who's riding a seven-fight win streak. The Arizona Combat Sports fighter most recently fought in January at "Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine," where he knocked out Mike Bravo. A fight earlier, he made his promotional debut and scored a decision victory over Alonzo Martinez.
With the addition, the latest UFC 160 card now includes:
Champ Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva - for heavyweight title
Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem
Ryan Bader vs. Glover Teixeira
T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard
Donald Cerrone vs. KJ Noons
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trijillo
Amir Sadollah vs. Stephen Thompson
Estevan Payan vs. Jeremy Stephens
Source: MMAJunkie.com