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Anthony Smith believes Dominick Reyes might be a victim of the 'Jon Jones effect'. 'Lionheart' was recently asked why Reyes is taking longer than him to recover from the Jones defeat.
Smith noted that the former light-heavyweight king has had a similar impact on other opponents like Glover Teixeira and Thiago Santos as well. 'Lionheart' believes he might have recovered faster as he is younger than the aforementioned guys.
Smith also noted that his greater experience compared to Reyes has made him more accustomed to adversity. The 33-year-old said in a recent interview with The Schmo:
"It's kind of that Jon Jones effect man. He's kind of done that to everyone. Look how long it took Glover [Teixeira] to kind of come back and you know, Dominick Reyes is having some problems with it. Who else?... Thiago Santos [prompted by The Schmo] is having some problems too. I don't know, I'm a little bit younger than those guys. And I'm more experienced than Dominick Reyes so I'm used to having to come back from adversity and having some tough times."
Watch Smith's interview with The Schmo below:
Smith also lauded Reyes' athleticism and believes 'The Devastator' could have excelled in any sport of his choice. 'Lionheart' confessed that his own lack of natural athletic gifts has made him toil hard, in turn strengthening his ability to bounce back.
Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes' respective careers after their losses to Jon Jones
Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes fought Jon Jones near the fag end of his light heavyweight stint, both making 'Bones' look human. Both fighters dropped unanimous decisions against the former champion, which were controversial to say the least.
However, Smith and Reyes' careers have taken completely different turns following their losses to Jones. 'The Devastator' went on to make a failed bid for the vacant title against Jan Blachowicz, suffering a second-round KO loss. Reyes last competed in May 2021, suffering another devastating KO loss to the then-surging prospect and current champion Jiri Prochazka.
Meanwhile, Smith bounced back from the Jones defeat with a submission win over three-time title challenger Alexander Gustafsson. 'Lionheart' then suffered consecutive losses to elite light heavyweights Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic.
Smith has since mounted a three-fight winning streak of first-round finishes. Currently ranked No.5 at 205 lbs, the 33-year-old is scheduled to face the No.4-ranked Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 277 on July 30.
