Dominick Reyes on whether he's upset at not getting a rematch against Jon Jones
Dominick Reyes is all set for his second shot at UFC gold later this month in the co-main event of UFC 253. Dominick Reyes will face Jan Blachowicz for the vacant Light Heavyweight title after the dominant Champion Jon Jones left the division in favor of opportunities at Heavyweight.
Dominick Reyes is the man who many felt defeated Jon Jones, but the judges didn't see it that way. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Dominick Reyes reflected on not getting an opportunity to have a rematch with Jon Jones:
“It is what it is, man,” Reyes said. “The goal has always been from the beginning to get the belt. It doesn’t have to do with who it’s against. It didn’t matter if it’s Jon; it doesn’t matter if it’s Jan. This is about me. It’s about Dominick Reyes.
Dominick Reyes said that he completely understands Jon Jones' point of view and his decision to vacate the Light Heavyweight title and move up to Heavyweight:
“I get it,” Reyes said. “He wants to be as successful as he can, and he’s hedging his bets here. The most probability to be the greatest of all time, he’s the greatest light heavyweight of all time, but he wants to be the greatest fighter of all time. In order to do that, he needs to move up, and he needs to do all this crazy other stuff.
Ultimately, Dominick Reyes' goal is to become the World Champion. He didn't seem to worry about whether it was against Jon Jones or Jan Blachowicz:
“It’s an opportunity to become champion of the world, man,” Reyes said. “Any opportunity to become champion of the world is going to completely change your life. It’s gonna change everything. I’m right on the precipice of creating my own legacy, etching it in stone where nobody could ever take it away from me. I’m so close to that, and I’m not letting my foot off the pedal. I’m right there.”
Will UFC 253 mark Dominick Reyes' arrival?
Dominick Reyes proved that he's among the best when he took Jon Jones to the limit at UFC 247. He will most likely be the favorite against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 253. However, Jan Blachowicz has been on the end of some emphatic finishes and that could translate against Dominick Reyes at UFC 253.
It's going to be an interesting fight and Jon Jones might just be a close observer of it.