Stephens admits he thought about suicide after losing to Aldo

J. Stephens has been in the UFC since 2008. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook ufc

Jeremy Stephens was knocked out by José Aldo in the first round of the main fight at UFC Calgary in July 2018. A victory over the former champion would qualify the North American for a featherweight title fight. However, the setback caused 'Lil Heathen' to be psychologically affected to the point of thinking about suicide.

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In an interview with the North American program 'Ariel Helwani's MMA Show', Stephens revealed that he was willing to give up his life after the knockout against Aldo last year.

“After the fight, I was looking at my children, who are 9 and 7 years old, and it was at this age that my parents separated, when I was 8 years old. I was ready to leave my wife, leave my children and just leave everything. Having suicidal thoughts. […]I didn’t really believe in myself. Why would a young man from Des Moines, Iowa become a world champion? As soon as I was about to get my title, I would drop the ball. There was no self-confidence. These things were holding me back,” Jeremy confessed.

The featherweight said that his trainer, Eric Del Fierro, saved his life by showing him the Choice Center. The company teaches adults and teenagers how to increase their Emotional Intelligence.

“Little did I know when I joined the program that all I had to do was change my mindset. Find some tools, discover a little more about myself. […]People look at us as fighters, and yes, I'm one of the toughest guys you've ever seen, but I've also been in the gutter. I am a real human being. I have feelings. I have emotions. Going through this program put me on another mental level. This helped my family. I have seen how it has affected my relationships and opened me up to a whole other world,” concluded Stephens.

Jeremy will face Zabit Magomedsharipov on the preliminary card of UFC 235, this Saturday (02). At 32 years old, Stephens has 43 fights in his career, 28 triumphs and 15 setbacks. He currently occupies sixth place in the featherweight rankings.