Jon Jones has been here before.
The greatest 205 pound fighter in history has faced all manner of competitors during his UFC run thus far, beating every single one of them along the way (with respect to Matt Hammil) but in about five weeks’ time Jones will step into the cage with a man whose athletic achievements to date tell him that not only can he hang with Jones, but beat him.
Dominick Reyes is one of those rare athletic specimens. He has excelled in practically every sport he has set his mind too and the former collegiate safety was close to a lucrative NFL career when he came out of college but when those doors didn’t open fully, he took his talents to mixed martial arts — and it has been a resounding success to this point.
The 30-year-old has a perfect 12-0 record, with six of those coming in the UFC, and comes into the fight in a similar position to how Jones initially took the title from ‘Shogun’ Rua all those years ago, but can the promising fighter make the next step?
Jon Jones doesn’t seem to this so, and has opined as much on social media.
The NFL didn’t materialize because it simply was not my destiny, I’m living my destiny https://t.co/c25YiyBEWo! #andnew #ufc247
— Dominick Reyes (@DomReyes) December 28, 2019
Keep telling yourself that buddy, whatever it takes to get you through camp. I don’t want no excuses after this https://t.co/czZEGUCoGY
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 29, 2019
Hey look at me, I’m an athlete!
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) December 29, 2019
Jones will come into this fight on the back of what was technically his ‘closest’ fight to date when he won a split decision against Thiago Santos last summer, added to wins against Anthony Smith and Alexander Gustafsson. Prior to that he was on the shelf for an extended period owing to a suspension for a failed drug test.
Reyes, meanwhile, knocked out Chris Weidman in the first round of their meeting in October to add to wins against Ovince St. Preux, Volkan Oezdemir and Jared Cannonier.
One more win, though, and he will add his name to the light heavyweight history books permanently. We will find out February 8.
