Jeremy Stephens is a free man for now, pending the outcome of an ugly legal situation that has him on the hook for allegedly beating an Iowa man "near death" outside a bar.

"Lil' Heathen" has maintained his innocence since he was arrested in his Minneapolis, Minn., hotel room just hours before a scheduled fight against Yves Edwards at UFC on FX 5 earlier this month. The fight was ultimately canceled, but not before (and after) UFC President Dana White went to bat for him in a major way.

The video above prominently features many of White's supportive statements, as well as includes about five minutes of Stephens thanking, apologizing and explaining his situation for the first time himself. Naturally, Stephens does not go into detail about the actual case against him, but he does constantly reinforce that he is innocent and that his name will be cleared once he has his day in court.

No details about his availability to fight or future court appearances are known at this time.

For more details on Stephens' legal woes, as well as to read his official statement, click here, here and here.