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Born and raised in Southern California, Dominick Reyes was hit hard by the news of basketball legend Kobe Bryant's shocking death.
In a media interview ahead of his UFC 247 title fight against Jon Jones, Reyes got emotional reminiscing the day of the tragic accident and his reaction to it. He shared what the Los Angeles Lakers superstar meant to him, and how he plans to pay him a tribute.
MMA Junkie reported on it.
Dominick Reyes: I've never looked up to any other athlete but Kobe Bryant
Bryant's death was such a blow to the fighter from Victorville, 85 miles outside of L.A., that it felt like losing a close family member to him. He stayed in bed most of the day, and needed to call up friends and family to talk about it, Reyes shared.
The 'Mamba' mentality of the five-time NBA Champ is what motivated Reyes all through his life. His philosophy got Reyes to university, and then to the Octagon. According to Reyes, Bryant is one of the biggest reasons behind the person and the fighter he has become.
"I’ve never looked up to any other athlete but Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s mentality of ‘nobody is gonna believe in you but you,’ I’ve used that throughout my life. I made it to my university; I’m here on that philosophy. Nobody is gonna believe in you but you. Nobody is gonna work for you. Work when the lights are off, work when nobody is looking. That’s what matters. That’s what makes you a champion. Winning is everything. Oh, man. All of that is a huge part of why I’m here today."
As a tribute to his childhood hero, whose matches he and his brothers never missed on TV even though they could not afford games tickets, Reyes has something small but significant planned. However, he is not sure if he would be allowed to because of business rivalries.
"I’d like to wear his jersey throughout the week, but I don’t know if Reebok would be very excited about that. We’ll see. But definitely, (if I) win this belt, it’ll definitely be on my heart and on my mind."
It might cause a clash of interest, given how UFC and Reebok have a deal and Bryant was sponsored by their competition, Nike. However, Reyes is definitely hoping to don the famous purple and yellow in the fight week leading up to his bout with Jones.
The fight between Reyes and Jones for the Light Heavyweight Championship takes place in the main event of UFC 247 on February 8 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
