Reyes Sidelined After Undergoing Surgery On Meniscus

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes will be sidelined for the next two months after underdoing surgery on his meniscus this past Thursday.

Reyes, who is currently the No. 5-ranked contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, revealed the news on his Instagram story (via MMA Junkie).

While this wasn’t a major surgery that is going to put Reyes out of commission for the rest of the year it’s still a procedure that’s repairing a crucial part of his knee and something that has an immediate effect on his mobility. The typical recovery time for the surgery is four to eight weeks so there’s a strong possibility Reyes is able to return to the Octagon by year’s end.

Reyes, 31, may actually benefit from the time off. The once undefeated contender has now lost three in a row dating back to his title fight loss to Jon Jones back in 2020. He has suffered consecutive knockout losses to current 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz and surging contender Jiri Prochazka. Reyes’ last UFC win came in the form of a first-round knockout over Chris Weidman back in Oct. 2019.

Needless to say, Reyes can’t afford another loss or he’ll really start sliding down the light heavyweight ladder. Putting his return on hold and fixing whatever issues he was experiencing with his meniscus could refuel “Devastator” to make another run at light heavyweight gold when he makes his return.