Dominick Reyes vs. Thiago Santos
Why it could happen: Despite [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] currently asking for either a rematch with Jones or an interim title bout with Jan Blachowicz, I – like I said on the previous page – am not a fan of immediate rematches for the title (unless something crazy happens, e.g. “the fan man”).
For one, if a fighter loses twice to a sitting champion, it almost-always portends for a poor career trajectory to come, as recovering from that type of door closure can be permanently detrimental to the competitive psyche. Secondly, Reyes (12-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) – like [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] – is still very youthful by the standards of 205 pounds.
Santos (21-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC), however, is arguably in even more need of this sort of step given that he is coming off of serious injury. So, in the spirit of fresh matchups, let these two top contenders battle it out for the next title shot in what should be a tremendous action fight.
Predicted line: Reyes -190, Santos +150
Thoughts on the fight: In what has all the makings for fireworks, this a fight I would selfishly want to see booked.
Santos, who is 2-1 against UFC-level southpaws, offers all the violence you could ask for in the form of hard hooks and crushing kicks – which I suspect brings out the best in Reyes. A talented southpaw striker, Reyes can either blitz on a retreating foe or find counters within the oncoming chaos.
Though I doubt that many would take issue with the American opening as the favorite, this is undoubtedly a dangerous test for Reyes. He may be an underrated wrestler and grappler who could find advantages on the floor, but I’m not so sure Reyes would try and take it there given Santos’ improved takedown defense and potent, hair-triggered counters.
For that reason, I think we get ourselves a high-tensioned affair that likely ends inside the distance after a short feeling out period in the first round.
Early pick: Reyes by second-round TKO
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