Dominick Reyes is staring up at Mount Jones from the very base of the mountain as he enters UFC 247 in Houston this weekend. Jon Jones — the UFC’s reigning light heavyweight champion, as decorated inside the cage as he is troubled outside it — has proven an insurmountable task thus far, for essentially every single opponent in his professional career.
Not surprisingly, as the man who is next to attempt to dethrone the king, Reyes has been constantly questioned about his approach. With Fight Week underway, Reyes (12-0) shed some insight into his game plan, without getting into the specifics.
Speaking to fans and media members at a special UFC Athlete Panel on Wednesday, Reyes pointed to Jones’ boxing as a potential vulnerability.
“It’s no secret that Jon isn’t the best boxer in the UFC,” observed Reyes. “He’s a great kickboxer, he has great range, he uses his kicks very well, but he’s not the best boxer. And I intend to exploit that. I think my boxing is probably the best in the division. With footwork and fearlessness, I’ll get in there, and I’ll put these hands on him.”
Of course, any number of fighters have struggled to get inside on Jones in the past. With a 77 inch reach, Reyes is giving up a lot to Jon Jones, who comes in just under 85 inches in that department.
Regardless, Reyes is working to stay positive. Asked if there was any commonality in missteps Jones’ previous opponents had made, Reyes suggested that “the most common mistake his opponents always make is they let doubt creep in. They let the Jon Jones monster get in their heads, and they start doubting themselves within the fight. And then he takes over. Once he takes over, you’re not coming back.”
As to whether the key to beating Jones is staying perfect, or identifying holes, Reyes answered that “it’s a little bit of both. There are holes in everybody’s game. I can’t tell you exactly what my game plan is. But there are holes. It’s a combination of watching everybody fight him, and putting everything together.”
“He has so much film on him,” Reyes continued. “I’m able to get that film, break it all down, figure out all the probabilities, all the statistics on his fights. And put it together. But at the same time, I’ve got to be the best version of myself, and I have to fight a near perfect fight as well. Nobody’s perfect, but I have to be close.”
One other factor that could play into the UFC 247 main event: a little unpredictability from Reyes. It was pointed out that ‘The Devastator’ is the underdog in the bout, something that has not happened to him before. “This is the first time I’m an underdog. For me, I get to just go out there and be free. I get to go full speed, I’ve got nothing to lose. I don’t see anything better than that.”
UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes goes down this Saturday, February 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event airs live on PPV via ESPN+ in the U.S. and traditional PPV in Canada.
