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Dana White recently announced that he is waiting for a response from Jon Jones for a potential rematch against Dominick Reyes for the UFC light-heavyweight championship. Back at UFC 247, Jon Jones picked up a controversial unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes in his record 13th title defense at the light-heavyweight division. With many mixed martial arts fans and pundits showing their disappointment towards the decision, it makes sense for UFC to book a rematch between the two fighters.
Dominick Reyes was undefeated inside the UFC octagon, with notable victories over Jared Cannonier, Chris Weidman, Ovince Saint Preux, Volkan Oezdemir, before losing to Jon Jones at UFC 247. However, many fight fans and fighters continue to maintain that Dominick Reyes had the upper hand against undefeated and undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world, Jon Jones.
Jon Jones and the light-heavyweight situation
Jon Jones and Dana White got into an ugly spat on social media, throwing jabs at each other, earlier this year. Jon Jones unofficially relinquished his UFC light-heavyweight title and claimed that he would only return to fight Israel Adesanya in 2021. However, according to recent comments from Dana White, he is waiting for a response from Jon Jones. UFC could be looking at Dominick Reyes vs Jan Blachowicz for the UFC interim light-heavyweight title if Jon Jones decides to opt-out of fighting in 2020.
However, if Jon Jones accepts the rematch and both the fighters lock horns yet again for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, it will be interesting to see who will get his hand raised after everything is said and done.
Can Dominick Reyes beat Jon Jones?
Dominick Reyes put up an incredible performance against probably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, Jon Jones at UFC 247. Incredibly enough, Reyes dethroned Jones in the eyes of many UFC fans and fighters.
It begs to ask the question, can Dominick Reyes beat Jon Jones in a rematch? Dominick Reyes performed exceptionally well the first time around. He was able to land several significant punches on Jones, including the lethal uppercut that he landed on Jones early in the third round.
However, Jones' chin held on to him as he recovered quickly to trade once again. Reyes also showed an impressive takedown defense against a credible wrestler like Jon Jones. Despite the argument that Jones' victory had a lot to do with the takedown, he managed late in the fifth round, Jones failed to dominate Reyes on the ground though.
Dominick Reyes has incredible power and is a proficient boxer who can take down any fighter in the light-heavyweight division. However, Jon Jones' resume speaks more than enough to shut down any fighter. Despite the controversy surrounding with his win over Thiago Santos, and recently concluded fight over Dominick Reyes, Jon Jones continues to be the undisputed king of the light-heavyweight division, and perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist in the history of all time.
Jon Jones has found himself in a lot of controversy over the last several months. In the recent past, he has also been criticized for his lackluster performances inside the octagon. Jones would look to put everything at rest if he squares up against Dominick Reyes in the rematch. History has taught us that Jon Jones has always fared better in the rematch. Jones' victory over Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustaffson is a testament to his ability to adjust and perform more efficiently in the rematch.
While Dominick Reyes is a credible opponent for Jon Jones, it will be a mistake to think that Jones won't come prepared in the rematch against probably his toughest opponent to date. At 32, Jones is far from done. He is also looking at moving to the heavyweight division and has mentioned a super-fight against Francis Ngannou in the past. Jones remains undefeated and the undisputed king of the light-heavyweight division. Reyes came close to dethroning Jones and narrowly missed out on a well-deserved victory. Regardless, if there's someone in the light-heavyweight division who can give Jones a run for his money, it's Dominick Reyes.
