UFC 247
Date:Sat, Feb 8, 8:00 PM
Venue:Toyota Center
By Ray Vann: Jon Jones is entering into the octagon on Feb. 8 for his 11th defense of the UFC light heavyweight belt, but he’s stepping in against an undefeated Dominick Reyes, a fighter who is looking to break the myth around Bones Jones and secure that title spot for himself.
The books are all over Jones in this one, and it’s hard to go against someone who is arguably (or to some, unquestionably) the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, but there are some pretty tantalizing odds out there for a Reyes upset. Not quite in the “Holm over Rousey” realm, but it’ll be worth looking through this list of some of the best sites online to find odds and get the best value on a bet.
Heavy Favorite
Jones has a clear cut advantage over Reyes going into this fight in terms of reach, with a 7.5 inch difference over his competitor. In order to negate this striking differential, Reyes is going to have to get aggressive, and also make use of the same kind of takedown defense he used to stop Chris Weidman less than two minutes into the first round back at UFC 243 in October. Jones, it should be worth noting, is a much different beast than Weidman, and Reyes will be having a much more difficult time stopping the 6’4 champ.
And Reyes’ victory over Weidman did not seem to impress Jones at all.
“You knocked out Chris Weidman. He’s been knocked out so many times. Good job,” Jones said back in December. “I don’t have to knock out people. The only way you can possibly win this fight is to catch me with a left. We all know that. I could submit you, I could out-wrestle you, I can kickbox you to death. I’m going to get you. I’m going to get you, Dominick. You know it. You’re a one-trick pony. We saw your highlight reel. It was straight left, straight left, straight left.”
“He’s Just a Man”
What Reyes does bring to the table, however, is his extreme athleticism and the confidence to succeed. Reyes had previously played Division 1 football at Stony Brook University, and he has previously told reporters that the upcoming battle with Jones has been something he’s been thinking about for years.
I’ve worked my whole life to fight Jon, my whole fighting career. I started training to fight Jon. I’m getting better and better,” Reyes said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “I’m getting better and better. I’m ready to step in there with this man. He’s just a man. I feel like my destiny is to fight this man and take him out.”
And meeting Jones face-to-face has only seemed to heighten Reyes’ confidence even more. At a press conference last month, Reyes told reporters “In the faceoffs, that was the first time I ever met Jon in my life, or even (got) near him. We came face to face, and my heart rate didn’t raise at all. I felt at home. I felt like, ‘This is it. This is Jon Jones.’ The allure of Jon Jones is a lot bigger than he actually is.”
‘This guy is just a man with many insecurities.’ You can see it all over him,” Reyes added.
Whether or not Reyes’ confidence and athleticism can win out over the experience and skills of Jon Jones remains to be seen. Tune in to UFC 247 on Feb. 8 to find out!