Tag: Dominick Reyes

MMA Junkie Radio #3005: Khabib vs. Ferguson, VanZant’s gamble, Jones vs. Reyes (and Adesanya)

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” break down the latest MMA news and notes, including the biggest fight booking of the week.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On episode 3,005 of the podcast, the guys break down the latest MMA news and notes, with plenty of hot topics to discuss even on a non-event weekend.

The rundown

  • The worst possible outcome has been confirmed, with Walt Harris’ stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, confirmed dead.
  • It seems [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] is on tap. Is there any way this fight doesn’t come together (again)?
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] is fighting out her contract with the UFC. Is this a big gamble on her part?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is a massive favorite over [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] for their February contest. Is Reyes being given enough respect?
  • Speaking of Jones, what’s with all this [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] talk?
  • [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] continues to stay in the news. Should he?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Jon Jones opens as sizable favorite over Dominick Reyes ahead of UFC title fight

The oddsmakers are thinking “And still” is the most likely outcome of the UFC’s Feb. 8 headliner in Houston.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has voiced his self-belief going into Feb. 8, when he defends his title against [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag].

But he’s not the only one feeling confident. According to oddsmakers, Jones’ next title defense once again will be his fight to lose.

According to BetMGM, Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) is more than a 4-1 favorite to beat Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Houston at an event that is expected to be UFC 246. at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Jones opened as a -455 favorite in the fight, according to odds set by BetMGM. The comeback on Reyes, the challenger, is +300. A $100 bet on Reyes would pay out $400 (including the original $100) if he wins. A $100 bet on Jones would pay out about $122 (including the original $100) if he wins.

The only times Jones has been this small of a favorite since he first became a UFC champion were his two fights against Daniel Cormier and second fight against Alexander Gustafsson.

Reyes never has been an underdog in his UFC career. Most recently, he closed as about a 2-1 favorite against former middleweight champion Chris Weidman in Boston. He also has been favored in fights against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir and former interim title challenger Ovince Saint Preux.

Jones most recently was seen in action in July when he outpointed Thiago Santos to defend his belt in the main event of UFC 239. The 32-year-old Jackson Wink MMA product remains one of the most dominant champions in the UFC, with his lone loss coming by disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009.

Reyes recently picked up the biggest win of his career. In October, Reyes scored a first-round knockout over former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC on ESPN 6. Reyes, 29, is No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA light heavyweight rankings.

[opinary poll=”what-chance-do-you-give-dominick-reyes-o” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship, and there is no influence on news coverage.

[vertical-gallery id=391887]

[vertical-gallery id=375856]

Spinning Back Clique: Is Israel Adesanya inside Jon Jones’ head?

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 4 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” break down the [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]-[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] rivalry, UFC 246’s two title fights in Houston, what’s next for [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] in Bellator and more.

Show rundown:

  • Jon Jones said he’s done talking about Israel Adesanya. But then he went right back to talking about him. So is Adesanya, the UFC’s middleweight champion, in light heavyweight champ Jones’ head?
  • We’ve got two UFC title fights set for February in Houston. Who’s more likely to lose? Jon Jones against challenger [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag], or women’s flyweight champ [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] against challenger [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag]?
  • What should be next for Michael Page in Bellator after his first-round knockout win over another unheralded opponent?
  • Floyd Mayweather said he’s coming out of retirement – and is going to be in business with UFC president Dana White. So what’s it going to be?
  • During Thanksgiving week, what are we thankful for in the world of MMA?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 4 of “Spinning Back Clique” in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=462337]

MMA Junkie Radio #3004: Jon Jones-Dominick Reyes reaction, Bellator London recap, more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” break down the latest MMA news and notes, including the biggest fight booking of the week.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On episode 3,004 of the podcast, the guys break down the latest MMA news and notes, as well as unpack Bellator Europe 6 from over the weekend in London.

The rundown

  • It’s official. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] will defend his UFC light heavyweight title vs. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] on Feb. 8 in Houston. Is Reyes ready for this massive challenge, or is it too soon?
  • With [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] left on the outside looking in, should they be booked against each other as insurance? It’d be a rematch of a 2015 fight won by Anderson.
  • Bellator Europe 6 took place Saturday and ended with another highlight-reel knockout by [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag], who finished Giovanni Melillo with one punch early in the first round. Afterward, Page called for a rematch with welterweight champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag]. Where does Bellator go next with MVP?
  • Did you catch UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] on the set of ESPN “College Gameday” before the Ohio State-Penn State football game? That was cool, wasn’t it? More of this, Stipe.
  • UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] seems to be stirring the pot with [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]. What do we think of this?
  • [autotag]Floyd Mayweather[/autotag] is back! Maybe. And he’ll be working with UFC president Dana White! Maybe. What do we make of this?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Dominick Reyes’ authenticity paid off with title shot against Jon Jones

When it became most difficult for Dominick Reyes to stay persistent with authenticity, he gambled and remained so.

It’s official: [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] is next.

After much speculation and debate, Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) solidified himself as the number one contender for [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ UFC light heavyweight title. The two fighters are expected to square off at an event expected to be UFC 247 in Houston on Feb. 8.

After picking up a win over Chris Weidman in his first main event at UFC on ESPN 6 on Oct. 18, Reyes told the world he believed he deserved the next title shot. But beyond viability, Reyes didn’t worry about its probability. The decision was out of his control, after all.

“You never really know, to be honest with you,” Reyes told MMA Junkie. “You can only control things you can control. That’s all I really focused on. I can control what I do in this fight. I can control how I live my life. I can control how I react. But I can’t control what other people do or say.

“I tried not to concern myself too much with the goings-ons of other people. I just focused on what I can do and fight the best I possibly can.”

When it became most difficult for Reyes to stay true, he gambled and remained so. Facing criticism he wasn’t “interesting enough,” “promotable enough,” or “different enough.” Reyes elected not to stray from the recipe which got him to the dance: letting his fighting do the talking.

[lawrence-related id=462605,461771]

Throughout his career, the pressure has always been there for Reyes to get the masses on his side. In search of an identifiable medium, Reyes discovered knockouts were successful in gaining fans.

“I’m a good fighter, I’m a good athlete,” Reyes said. “I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m in the upper echelon of the fighters. For me, the hard part in my career has been finding that thing that makes me relatable to the fans. Finding that thing that is going to get people really excited about. I’ve found that knocking people out helps.”

It’s not just fans and media who have questioned Reyes’ ability to be more than just a foil to Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC). The UFC light heavyweight champ himself has helped build that narrative. Various tweets posted by Jones over the past month have been critical of Reyes. But when it came time to “decide” who we wanted next, Jones chose Reyes.

In response, Reyes tweeted at Jones calling the matchup “an honor.” Jones wasn’t a fan of Reyes’ compliment in the midst of their usual bickering and let him know. “You started this whole thing talking about party favors and now you’re going to show this fake ass respect?” Jones wrote.

“I think his comments are that he’s just confused,” Reyes said. “He doesn’t know how to take me. He hasn’t met me, I’ve never met him. He doesn’t know whether I’m being cocky or what. I have a tremendous amount of a respect for Jon – a huge amount of respect for Jon. Especially in the cage as a fighter and as a champion. As a person? Not as much.

“But he’s still Jon Jones. He’s still the greatest ever. Pound-for-pound number one, right now. If I fight him, it’s huge. It’s this huge opportunity to fight the best fighter ever. I’m aware of what he is. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. It doesn’t mean when I get in the cage I don’t have a tremendous amount of respect for him. We’re fighting. You’re not my friend.

Reyes continued, “I don’t care – I don’t care who you are or what you did before that. This moment is all that matters and your past means zero to me.”

[vertical-gallery id=375856]

Jon Jones to defend UFC light heavyweight title vs. Dominick Reyes on Feb. 8

Jon Jones’ next UFC title defense will be against the opponent of his choice.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has his next title fight lined up.

The UFC light heavyweight champion will take on undefeated contender [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] on Feb. 8 in Houston, UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Friday.

The race to challenge Jones was between top contenders [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and Reyes, but Jones made it pretty clear in the last couple of weeks he was only interested on fighting Reyes.

[lawrence-related id=464691,462931,462863]

Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) was last seen in action in July, when he out-pointed Thiago Santos to defend his belt in the main event of UFC 239. The 32-year-old Jackson Wink MMA product remains one of the most dominant champions in the UFC, with his lone loss coming via disqualification against Matt Hamill back in 2009.

Meanwhile, Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) recently picked up the biggest win of his career. Last month, Reyes scored a first-round knockout over former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC on ESPN 6. Reyes, 29, sits fourth in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings.

[opinary poll=”what-chance-do-you-give-dominick-reyes-o” customer=”mmajunkie”]

[vertical-gallery id=391887]

Jan Blachowicz has three options in mind for his next fight after UFC on ESPN+ 22

Jan Blachowicz isn’t quite sure what’s in store for him after a lackluster win at UFC Sao Paulo.

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] has three names in mind for his next fight after UFC on ESPN+ 22.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag], or maybe [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] are the realistic options in the on-deck circle for Blachowicz.

After he defeated Ronaldo Souza (26-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) Saturday by unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN+ 22 headliner, Blachowicz (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) took to the microphone and called for a fight with UFC light heavyweight champion Jones.

“I want someone from the top,” Blachowicz said in the cage. “Maybe a title shot. Why not? I’m ready. Jon, let’s do this. Give me the fight. Give me the title shot because I don’t have time. Maybe three more years and I go to retirement. It’s now or never.”

On the ESPN post-fight show, Blachowicz elaborated on his options. He said he’ll have to find out from the UFC what’s available. From there, Blachowicz said he and his team will figure out how to proceed.

“First of all, I have to come back to Poland and talk to the coaches,” Blachowicz said. We have to find a way to do something, so I’m not going to feel like this in a fight. Right now I don’t have answers.”

[lawrence-related id=463482,463271]

A top contender, Reyes has been linked to Jones as being the next 205-pound title challenger. If that’s the case, Blachowicz said he’ll have no problem sitting out and waiting for his shot.

“I will wait for Dominick Reyes or Jon Jones,” Blachowicz said in the post-fight press conference. “No problem. … I’m just going to wait for either from the UFC.”

Another option Blachowicz didn’t rule out is fellow light heavyweight contender Anderson. The American fighter is riding a wave of momentum coming off of a one-sided starching of rising star Johnny Walker at UFC 244 earlier this mont.

Anderson and Blachowicz fought at UFC 191 in September of 2015. Anderson walked away with the unanimous decision victory, but Blachowicz tacks up the loss to luck more than skill.

“Corey will be good – a rematch (with) him,” Blachowicz said. “Because he got a lot of luck in our first fight. I will prove that he was lucky. I (think) it will be a pleasure for me to fight against him also.”

UFC on ESPN+ 22 took place at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. The card streamed on ESPN+.

[vertical-gallery id=463676]

Anthony Smith: Dominick Reyes is an easier fight for Jon Jones than Corey Anderson

Anthony Smith believes UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones picked an easier fight in Dominick Reyes over Corey Anderson.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] actually picked the easier opponent in [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag].

UFC light heavyweight champion Jones tweeted that he picked Reyes over [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] because he believes he’s the more dangerous fighter, but Smith said he thinks Anderson presents more problems overall.

“I honestly think Jon probably chose the easier opponent between Corey Anderson and Dominick Reyes,” Smith said on UFC Unfiltered. “I think that Reyes is absolutely more dangerous, as far as explosiveness and size and his length. I think he may give Jon some problems on his feet a little bit and Jon will have to dodge some bullets. But look at everybody Jon’s beat – they’re one-dimensional, and that’s what Jon wants.”

The undefeated Reyes (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), is coming off a first-round knockout over Chris Weidman at UFC on ESPN 6 in Boston. Anderson (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is coming off a first-round finish of his own, taking out top prospect Johnny Walker at UFC 244.

Both were in the running for a title shot, but Jones ultimately chose Reyes. However, Smith said that Reyes’ split decision win over Volkan Oezdemir in March exposed some holes in his game that he can see Jones exploiting in the fight.

“Like we’ve seen in the Volkan Oezdemir fight, Dominick Reyes isn’t necessarily dominant on the ground and his takedown defense isn’t that great,” Smith said. “Even though he was able to stuff some of Weidman’s (takedowns) … he did have some improvements there, but Volkan Oezdemir took him down several times and Jon Jones is a much better wrestler than Volkan Oezdemir, that’s for sure.”

In Anderson, Smith sees a more skilled fighter overall who could present more issues to Jones, considering his wrestling ability.

“I think Corey is more well-rounded,” Smith said. “He’s got fundamental boxing. His kicking game isn’t super high level, but he keeps his hands in the right spot. He moves his head well. His wrestling is good. His takedown defense is really good. His top pressure is good. His cardio is phenomenal. Corey presents a lot more problems than Dominick Reyes does, so I do think that Jon picked the easier fight.”

[vertical-gallery id=459186]

Jon Jones hints that Dominick Reyes fight is a ‘few weeks away’

It appears a fight between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes is all but done with “Bones” claiming a fight announcement is imminent.

It seems [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is set to return to action in just a few weeks’ time.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) took to Twitter to further confirm his hints that [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] is next and said the date will be revealed very soon. With “The Devastator” and Corey Anderson emerging victorious in their most bouts, it seemed a two-horse race to see who would get the next shot until Jones decided that he wanted to face Reyes (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) next because he’s the more “dangerous” fighter.

Jones responded to a question on Twitter, offering a hint that his next opponent has something in common with two of his previous foes, Ryan Bader and Daniel Cormier.

The answer, according to Jones, was that both were undefeated when they faced “Bones,” who was able to successfully snatch the zero from both their records – suggesting that the undefeated Reyes will be the next to meet that fate.

 

A few weeks away could allude to the UFC’s planned Jan. 18 card, which is projected to be UFC 246 on pay-per-view. It is widely believed that Conor McGregor will return on that card, as well, which may take place in Las Vegas, but nothing has been officially announced just yet.

[vertical-gallery id=391887]

Spinning Back Clique: What do we think of Greg Hardy now?

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 2 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, Gorgeous George and Goze touch on the biggest storylines from UFC on ESPN+ 21 and around the world of MMA.

Show rundown:

  • [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] traveled all the way to Moscow on short notice for the biggest test of his early career and came away with a three-round unanimous decision loss to former Bellator heavyweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 21. What did this performance tell us about the controversial former NFL standout? Did it tell us anything significant about his MMA outlook moving forward?
  • [autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag] remained undefeated in the UFC at 6-0 with a three-round unanimous decision win over [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN+ 21 headliner. Afterward, Magomedsharipov called for a title shot. Was this the performance that sealed the deal? Or does Magomedsharipov need a more signature victory to stake his claim?
  • At first, [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] said he wanted an immediate rematch with Jorge Masvidal. Then he was like, “peace out fight game.” Now he’s clarified he isn’t actually leaving the fight game, after all. What does all of this mean for Diaz’s future?
  • UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has made it clear that [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] is his next title defense of choice over Corey Anderson. Is that the right next move? What about heavyweight?
  • [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] is off to Bellator and has detailed the reasons why he left the UFC to jump ship. What do we make of this move and his outlook with Bellator?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 2 of “Spinning Back Clique” in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=461365]