Dominick Reyes Reveals How Controversial Jon Jones Loss Altered His Life Beyond the Octagon, Ahead of UFC Perth

Former light heavyweight title contender Dominick Reyes cannot avoid people talking about his controversial loss to Jon Jones at UFC 247. For many people, he won, but for the judges who scored the fight that night, it was a unanimous decision victory for ‘Bones’. However, Reyes doesn’t seem too bothered about not winning the belt in his first title fight because he claims it was God’s plan for him.

Dominick Reyes is gearing up for a big-time clash against New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg in the main event of UFC Perth this weekend. This is his first headlining fight since 2021, when he lost to Jiri Prochazka. But ahead of his fight, Reyes opened up about the change that he underwent after the loss to Jon Jones. Let’s hear what he had to say.

Dominick Reyes is a changed man after losing to Jon Jones

Dominick Reyes claims that he has faith in what God has planned for him, and the loss to Jon Jones does not hurt him even one bit. “I’m a big believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’, right? So… I was supposed to lose that fight,” he told Submission Radio. He went on to reveal something about himself that most fans may not have known. It appears Reyes was focused more on the perks that come with being a star in the UFC, which diverted his focus from what matters the most to him: self-development.

“He [God] said, ‘You’re gonna win, but you’re not gonna win’. So people could see if you keep the faith, your faith, and the power of faith, and how it molded me into the man I am today,” Dominick Reyes added. “I’m a much better person than I would have become if I would have won that fight. Like, I was already kind of caring about the wrong things, right? Fame, fortune, girls, blah, blah, blah.”

The loss to Jon Jones, according to Dominick Reyes, was necessary to bring himself back on track and correct his life and, most importantly, his attitude. Now, his career has seen a resurgence as he’s on a three-fight winning streak, for which he’s grateful. “That kind of like, was God reaching his hand in and saying, ‘Hey, you’re not living right. You need to be humbled’. And that was me being humbled by the Lord, and I’m here today a much better man, a much better person, much more balanced. And my story it’s a better story now,” Reyes added.

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‘The Devastator’ looked very composed during the interview, which is good news because it will come in handy when he fights Carlos Ulberg this weekend. And guess what? He needs to keep his eyes locked on earning a victory because some people believe he could be fighting for the title next.

Insider claims Reyes could get a title shot next

The light heavyweight title scene has fighters like Khalil Rountree Jr. and former champion Jiri Prochazka waiting for their fight at UFC 320. Speculations claim that the fight could be a title eliminator, but veteran journalist Ariel Helwani’s right-hand man, Eric Jackman, believes Dominick Reyes could jump ahead of them. Why? Well, he praised ‘The Devastator’s three impressive KO wins in a row. So, he could swoop in if Alex Pereira beats Magomed Ankalaev because the Dagestan native is unlikely to get a trilogy fight.

“He’s [Dominick Reyes] looked good in that win streak, too. He has looked fantastic… If Alex is able to avenge the loss to Magomed, I don’t expect that Magomed gets a rematch. And then, you’re looking at probably like a Khalil or Jiri, who Alex has a ton of history with and has already beaten,” Eric Jackman told Submission Radio. “If you’re Carlos or Dominick, you’re one away… I think they’re in a great position.”

Well, it’s always one fight at a time, and Dominick Reyes may want to avoid thinking about a title shot when he’s got the formidable Carlos Ulberg next. The Kiwi fighter has been on an 8-fight winning streak, so we’ll have to wait and see how a changed Reyes deals with him this weekend in Perth. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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