Jeremy Stephens vs. Chris Avila Booked for Jake Paul-Nate Diaz Undercard

Jeremy Stephens and Chris Avila will meet in a boxing match on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz event on Aug. 5.

Most Valuable Promotions and Real Fight Inc. announced the bout on Wednesday. The fight will take place at 168 pounds and will be contested over eight rounds. Paul vs. Diaz will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and airs via pay-per-view via Dazn as well as all major cable and satellite providers.

Stephens made his professional boxing debut under the Gamebred Boxing banner on April 1, when he battled fellow UFC veteran Jose Aldo to a majority draw. “Lil Heathen” owns a 29-21 record with one no contest in MMA and is coming off a 1-2 stint with Professional Fighters League in 2022.

“I am super excited to be in these times of MMA mixing with boxing — it is a huge opportunity,” Stephens said. “And to have all the eyes in the world on this card, I plan on stealing the f—king show and giving the fans the ‘too hot for TV’ type performance that I always bring. I have a game opponent, and I’m going to highlight and leave people in memory of my performance.”

Anchored at the Nick Diaz Academy in Stockton, California, Avila is a training partner of Nate Diaz and the first fighter to be signed under the Real Fight, Inc., banner, according to a release. He owns a 3-1 mark in the Sweet Science and is 8-9 in MMA, with appearances in the UFC and Bellator to his credit.

“My last three fights I have settled the score with [Anthony] Taylor, and beat up a doctor and a dork,” said Avila. “I'm looking for the best fights and the toughest fights. Jeremy has been around a long time and fought everyone in MMA. But he hasn’t fought me so let’s see what's up over eight rounds on Aug. 5 in Dallas.”