Jon Jones wasn’t about to let a specific comment by Dominick Reyes slide.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC), who defends his title Saturday at UFC 247 against Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), wasn’t happy about Reyes’ comment that he’s never faced an athlete before.
“‘He’s fought wrestlers he’s fought strikers but never athletes’ -DR probably the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while.”
Jones proceeded to provide a list of fighters with great athletic accolades to further prove his point. He mentioned the likes of former UFC dual-champ Daniel Cormier, Ovince Saint Preux and Bellator double champ Ryan Bader, all of whom he has defeated.
“DC competed in the NCAA finals and in the Olympics, OSP played Division I football, Bader the current double Champ of Bellator, Vitor crazy speed and explosive, Lyoto had been striking since age 5, Glover was on a 20 fight win streak but none of those guys are athletes I guess”
And Jones didn’t stop there. He took things one step further by taking a look at Reyes’ athletic past as a wrestler and football player – he once had aspirations of making it to the NFL.
“Dominick Reyes, one of the greatest athletes in Apple Valley history. Being a big fish in a small pond for so long has really gone to his head.”
Reyes will enter Saturday night as the far less experienced fighter, having only competed six times inside the octagon. He’s had a fast rise in the light heavyweight division and is coming off his biggest win to date, a first-round knockout over former UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman in October.
But Jones is not impressed with his resume and thinks Reyes is in over his head. He put the final nail in the coffin by taking aim at Reyes’ failed achievements as a young athlete.
“Beating up on cans has got him convinced he’s a better athlete than most of the world. If he was so badass he would’ve won the California state wrestling championships, he would’ve went division one, He would have at least made a practice squad for the NFL. This man is delusional.”
UFC 247 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Jon Jones blasts 'delusional' Dominick Reyes and his athletic past ahead of UFC 247