What’s next for Dominick Reyes after brutal loss at UFC Vegas 25?


What’s next for Dominick Reyes after brutal loss at UFC Vegas 25?

Jiri Prochazka and Dominick Reyes

Just a year ago Dominick ‘The Devastator’ Reyes came close to clinching light-heavyweight gold at UFC 247. He gave light-heavyweight king Jon Jones a run for his money. But Jones somehow came off unscathed as he won via. unanimous decision. But, until this day many feel Reyes should have won the fight and that he was robbed. The loss was Reyes’ first in his MMA career.

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Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz
Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz

Reyes then took on Jan Blachowicz at UFC 253 for the light-heavyweight championship, after Jones had relinquished his light-heavyweight title and moved to the heavyweight championship. Reyes who came into the fight brimming with confidence was knocked out by the Pole’s super power, and suffered back-to-back losses. Blachowicz won the light-heavyweight championship, and still holds the belt.

And he took on the dangerous Czech, Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC Vegas 25. Reyes had claimed that the previous two losses taught him a lot, and since they were against elite fighters of the game, he believed he could get back to winning ways.

A spinning back elbow sends Dominick Reyes to another world!

Jiri Prochazka vs Dominick Reyes
Jiri Prochazka (R) and Dominick Reyes (L)

Now, Reyes’ opponent was the dangerous Prochazka. He hadn’t lost since December 2015, and was on an eleven fight win streak prior to the fight. He had made his UFC debut only a year before at UFC 251 against Volkan Oezdemir and devastated him with a massive punch.

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With just that win, Prochazka jumped to number 5 in the light-heavyweight rankings, and was set to face Reyes. Reyes in fact was landing clean strikes in the first round, as Prochazka got hurt and kept eating it. However, in the second round, with the action going towards the cage, a vicious spinning back elbow rendered Dominick Reyes unconscious, as Prochazka earned a huge KO win.

That’s three in a row!

Dominick Reyes thereby lost his third fight in a row. He has to find a way to bounce back, which he probably will. Possible opponents right now for him might be Thiago Santos who is ranked very close to him, and Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith who is coming off a victory against Jimmy Crute at UFC 261.

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