3 reasons why Dominick Reyes could upset Jon Jones | UFC 247
Next weekend will see UFC 247 take place in Houston, Texas, and in one of the most highly anticipated main events in some time, Jon Jones will return to the Octagon to defend his UFC Light-Heavyweight title against undefeated top contender Dominick Reyes.
‘The Devastator’ debuted in the UFC back in 2017 and has gone 6-0 in the promotion, but does he really have what it takes to defeat Jones – one of the most credentialed champions in MMA history looking for his 10th successful title defense? It’s a big call to make, but there are a couple of facts that suggest that in the very least, he has a shot.
Here are 3 reasons why Dominick Reyes could upset Jon Jones at UFC 247.
#1 Reyes uses his frame well
The big advantage that Jon Jones has held over every opponent he’s faced inside the UFC is that his frame is simply enormous for the 205lbs division. ‘Bones’ isn’t the very tallest Light-Heavyweight at 6’4”, but he’s an expert at using his range to get results inside the Octagon, and in particular, his reach is absolutely freakish – 84.5” – allowing him to catch his foes where other fighters might not be able to.
Jones does hold a reach advantage over Dominick Reyes, who also stands at 6’4” but only has a reach of 77”, but in MMA it’s not all about physical range and length, it’s also about how a fighter uses those tools to their advantage. Stefan Struve, for instance, just doesn’t fight like a guy who stands at 7’0” tall with an 84.5” reach.
Reyes on the other hand does fight like a very tall fighter even if he isn’t actually that lanky. His entire game is based around his striking from range, and he’s adept at throwing plenty of kicks from distance and also has a talent for landing combinations from the outside, too. ‘The Devastator’ doesn’t necessarily possess a ramrod jab, but he’s definitely capable of fighting at long range.
The last time we saw an opponent really able to attack Jones at range and shut down the champion’s own offense was when he took on Alexander Gustafsson back at UFC 165 in 2013. Sure, he’s rematched Gustafsson since, but the Swede was a far better fighter 7 years ago – and it was that fight that saw ‘Bones’ pushed harder than he’d ever been pushed before or since.
Add in the fact that Jones’ previous opponent – Thiago Santos – had some success by kicking at ‘Bones’ from the outside, and could it turn out that Reyes has the correct style – and more importantly, physical assets – to upset the champion? Quite possibly.