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Dominick Reyes' fate rests in the hands of the UFC 247 judges.
And since that decision in February 2020, Reyes' career has been transformed.
Jon Jones won the bout by unanimous decision, not only retaining his light heavyweight championship title, but also the aura of his undefeated record.
The same can't be said for Reyes, who lost his unbeaten record and his aura. Reyes played well in the first three rounds, but Jones got the upper hand in the fourth and fifth. It was a great fight, but there is still debate as to who ring announcer Bruce Buffer should have declared the winner.
“When it happened, I thought he said the wrong name,” Reyes said. “I was like, 'What? Did I read that right?' I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan for all of us. It just wasn't my time. My life would have been completely different. I probably wouldn't have fought again.”
That night, Reyes bombarded Jones with uppercuts, jabs and kicks and appeared to win the first three rounds of the five-round bout. But things have changed dramatically since then. Reyes came into the title bout with an unbeaten record, but has not been victorious again since that loss.
“At first, it was the worst after that loss,” Reyes said, “and then COVID hit. During that time, I was consumed by darkness. It was a much longer grieving process than it should have been.”
Reyes was asked how he thought his life would have been different if the judges had scored the fight in his favor.
“What if,” Reyes asked, “it's a dangerous game. At the same time, it's part of my journey. I can't deny who I am.”
“It made me a better person. I was on a path that wasn't a great person. It was all about money and power.”
After his loss to Jones, he still had a chance to win the light heavyweight title, but instead of a rematch with Jones, he faced Jan Blachowicz for the belt Jones had vacated.
After a six-month break, Reyes came into the bout unprepared and unmotivated against Blachowicz and lost in the second round.
“I didn't want to fight Jean. I wanted a rematch with John,” Reyes said. “I had the option to say no, but my ego played a big role.”
The losses continued to pile up: In May 2021, Jiri Prochazka knocked Reyes out with a spinning back elbow, then in November 2022, Ryan Spann nearly took Reyes' soul with a knockout at Madison Square Garden.
Reyes (12-4) will be looking to get another win tomorrow at UFC Fight Night when he takes on Dustin Jacoby, who has lost three of his last four fights, in the co-main event.
“This is a great opportunity,” Reyes said. “For me it's all about winning.”
Reyes' journey wouldn't be complete without his losses, but his story should also highlight his successes. His 12-fight winning streak was sensational, especially his win over Chris Weidman in October 2019.
“When this is all over, I'm going to have some fun,” Reyes said. “That night in Boston. [against Weidman]I will never forget that. Houston [against Jones],Chile [against Jared Cannonier],London [against Volkan Oezdemir]I will always remember that.
“Losing is a growing pain. It's tough to lose. I hate losing. But it's the wins that resonate with me.”
Reyes credits one friend in particular with shifting his perspective from darkness to light: his dog, Rory, a 4-year-old Pomeranian-Husky mix.
“He's my best friend,” Reyes said, “He's helped me in ways I don't even know. I couldn't live without him.”
Now with a chance to rewrite his own narrative, Reyes is ready to take on Jacoby.
“Expect a fight between two veteran fighters,” Reyes said. “It will be a very intense technical battle and I am confident of victory.”
Savannah Marshall will make her mixed martial arts debut tomorrow when she takes on Mirella Vargas in a lightweight bout at PFL Europe 2 in Newcastle, England.
The 33-year-old Marshall is a highly decorated boxer, the current women's super middleweight boxing world champion, who signed a multi-year contract with the PFL last summer and has been training extensively for mixed martial arts (MMA).
“This is an amazing opportunity and I'm going to grab it with both hands,” Marshall said. “Don't get me wrong, it's hard. It's a lot harder than boxing, but it's something I never dreamed of. It just happened to come to me.”
As she has done throughout her boxing career, Marshall's goal is to continue to raise the profile of women in sports.
“Women don't have as many opportunities as men,” Marshall said, “but things are getting better, which is why I turned to this sport.”
Marshall will headline the Newcastle card in her MMA debut and is sure to be well received by the crowd as she grew up in Hartlepool, around 30 miles away.
“I have the experience and the environment to grow in,” Marshall said, “and I'm excited about the unknown. A lot of things will be different – the warm-ups, the training, the organization – and I like that. I'm looking forward to the opportunity.”
UFC Fight Night Middleweight: Jared Cannonier vs. Nassouddin Imavov
UFC Fight Night Light Heavyweight: Dominick Reyes vs. Dustin Jacoby
UFC Fight Night Bantamweight Bout: Ricky Turcios vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
ONE 167 Lightweight Bout: Cade Ruotolo vs. Blake Cooper
PFL Europe 2 Women's Lightweight: Savannah Marshall vs. Mirella Vargas
last week: 4-2
2024 Record: 54-45
