Dominick Reyes: Jon Jones Fight Changed My Career, Forced Me To Be Better

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Posted by AI on 2025-08-01 12:46:12 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-12 18:19:09

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Dominick Reyes climbed the rankings quickly with a series of decisive victories, highlighting a potential future atop the light heavyweight division. However, a contentious bout with Jon Jones left him contemplating what went wrong, as he shared in a recent interview.

Reyes admits that his performance against Jon Jones was not his best, and the experience changed his outlook on his career. Dominick Reyes' ambitions of securing the UFC light heavyweight championship, and a successful defense, against Jon Jones at UFC 247 in Houston did not materialize.

Many viewers and fans of MMA contests argue that the result of that fight was questionable, and that Reyes deserves a rematch with Jones to potentially claim the title. Nevertheless, Dominick's pride took a warranted blow, as he discussed changes he made since that February 2020 night at the Toyota Center.

In an interview with 'The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani', Reyes recounted his disastrous debut:

"I was trying to play it cool, like, 'I'll just do my job, I'll do my work, I'll take my L, and hopefully, I'll get another chance.' But deep down, I was hurt, and I was pissed. I was like, 'Fuck, I didn't just come here for this.'"

Indeed, Dominick's social media activity hinted at a newfound hunger and seriousness in his training, as he refocused on mixed martial arts after a briefand disappointingshowing in the heavyweight division. Dominick Reyes rebounded from the Jones loss with an impressive knockout win over former title contender Alexander Smith at UFC 266 in September 2023.

The statistically-dominated bout saw Smith land just 18% of his total strikes, compared to Reyes' 52%. The former #2 light heavyweight contender and #8 ranking at the time agreed that his performance against Smith was a career-changing experience, stating:

"I feel like I'm getting better, I feel like I'm growing. I feel like everything is going the way it's supposed to, even though I wish it was a little faster. I wish I was knocking everybody out in the first round, but things take time."

Reyes continued to demonstrate his resiliency and ability to learn from his losses, as he shared during the interview. Discussing his future, Reyes expressed his intent to continue his winning ways and eventually earn another chance at the title.

"I'm going to keep doing my thing, keeping my head down, keeping my nose to the grindstone, and just trying to make the most of my opportunities when they come," he said.

"I can't worry too much about what other people are doing, or what's going on with the title picture. My job is to take care of my business, and I feel like I'm doing that."

Reyes continues to climb the rankings, currently sitting at #8, and hopes to continue his winning streak to stake his claim as the UFC's best light heavyweight.

Go!