5 Defining Moments: Dominick Reyes

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An air of uncertainty surrounds Dominick Reyes after two failed attempts to capture the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title.

The Cage Combat Academy export will lock horns with former Rizin Fighting Federation champion Jiri Prochazka in the UFC on ESPN 23 main event this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Reyes enters the Octagon on the heels of back-to-back losses to Jon Jones and Jan Blachowicz, the high-profile setbacks leading to inevitable questions regarding his viability as a top-flight contender at 205 pounds. A potent and proven finisher, he has delivered nine of his 12 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

As Reyes makes final preparations for his five-round battle with the surging Prochazka, a look at five of the moments that have come to define him:

1. Fresh Start

Reyes’ athletic abilities are undeniable and extend beyond the cage. He started at safety for the Stony Brook University football team from 2009-12 and twice earned All-Big South Conference honors for the Seawolves. Reyes still ranks 10th on the New York school’s all-time list in tackles with 259. Some seven months after he went unselected in the 2013 NFL Draft, he made his amateur mixed martial arts debut. Reyes removed the training wheels less than a year later when he made his first appearance as a professional mixed martial artist and put away Jose Rivas Jr. with punches 3:23 into the opening round of their King of the Cage “Fisticuffs” pairing on Dec. 4, 2014 at the San Manuel Casino in Highland, California. He was off and running in a new sport. Reyes went on to win his first 12 fights as a pro.

2. Octagon Beckons

“The Devastator” showed off the skills and killer instinct that made him one of the sport’s top prospects, as he dispatched Joachim Christensen with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 112 light heavyweight showcase on June 25, 2017 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma. Christensen bowed out 29 seconds into Round 1. A short-notice substitution for Azamat Murzakanov, Reyes had the Dane ducking for cover after he connected with a straight left and follow-up punches. He then reset and split Christensen’s defenses with another straight left that dropped him to his back. Reyes closed the deal with a quick burst of standing-to-ground punches, improving to 7-0 in a dazzling promotional debut. The victory was accompanied by increased exposure and a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

3. Wrecking Ball

Reyes made his intentions known and did so in resounding fashion. “The Devastator” on Oct. 18, 2019 further cemented himself as clear-and-present danger to the rest of the 205-pound weight class, as he brought down Chris Weidman with punches in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 6 headliner at TD Garden in Boston. Weidman succumbed to blows 1:43 into Round 1—the quickest defeat of the former middleweight champion’s 19-fight career. Reyes bounced back to his feet after being taken down, created some space and countered the Serra-Longo Fight Team export with a surgical straight left. Weidman hit the deck and did what he could to defend himself. However, two standing-to-ground hammerfists followed, had him teetering on the brink of unconsciousness and resulted in an immediate stoppage.

4. A Brush with Greatness

Jones’ reign atop the 205-pound weight class grew surprisingly tenuous, as he retained his light heavyweight championship with a contentious unanimous decision over Reyes in the UFC 247 main event on Feb. 8, 2020 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Despite the fact that the previously unbeaten Reyes outstruck “Bones” in the first, second and third rounds, the judges awarded the champion 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 scores. Reyes connected with more significant strikes (116) on the Jackson-Wink MMA representative than any other opponent—only Alexander Gustafsson managed to reach triple figures—and denied seven of his nine attempted takedowns across 25 enthralling minutes. Jones found another gear in the championship rounds, where he zeroed in on the head, body and legs with conviction and made his move toward the decision.

5. Sobering Setback

Blachowicz wiped out Reyes with second-round punches to capture the vacant light heavyweight championship in the UFC 253 co-headliner on Sept. 26, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Reyes succumbed to blows 4:36 into Round 2, failing in his second attempt to strike Ultimate Fighting Championship gold. The vastly more experienced Blachowicz was measured and precise, never straying from his approach. He countered with power punches from both hands, stayed composed and blistered Reyes’ body with crushing kicks; his work left a multi-colored bruise on the Californian’s side that looked more like the outline of a shark bite. Blachowicz appeared to break the Cage Combat Academy product’s nose in the second round, continued to bait the trap and unleashed when the time was right. A chopping left hand detonated behind Reyes’ ear, set him on rubbery legs and ultimately dropped him where he stood. Blachowicz then pounced with punches until the job was done.