Dominick Reyes
Dominick Reyes (born December 26, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former college football player. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight[4] division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 15, 2023, he is #13 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.[5]
| Dominick Reyes | |
|---|---|
Reyes in 2017 | |
| Born | December 26, 1989[1] Hesperia, California, U.S.[2] |
| Nickname | The Devastator |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 206 lb (93 kg; 14.7 st) |
| Division | Light heavyweight (2014–present) |
| Reach | 77 in (196 cm)[3] |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Victorville, California, U.S. |
| Team | Joe Stevensons Cobra Kai |
| Rank | Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 2014–present (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 16 |
| Wins | 12 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By decision | 1 |
| University | Stony Brook University |
| Website | dominickreyes |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background edit
Reyes was born in Hesperia, California, on December 26, 1989, and is of Mexican American descent.[2] Reyes was an athlete from a young age: he wrestled and played American football, aspiring to play in the NFL. Reyes grew up in a poor family; his parents encouraged him to pursue sports in order to avoid getting involved with gangs.[6] After graduating from Hesperia High School, he moved to New York to attend Stony Brook University, where he earned his B.S. in Information Systems.[7]
Reyes was the starting safety for the Stony Brook Seawolves from 2009 to 2012, eventually becoming captain. He twice made the All-Conference team, including being named First Team All-Big South in 2012. He intercepted a pass in the end zone with 54 seconds remaining in the first round of the 2011 FCS Playoffs to give Stony Brook a 31–28 win over in-state rivals Albany.[8] Reyes graduated from Stony Brook as the program's all-time leader in solo tackles (158), recording 259 tackles in total.[9] While he received attention from NFL teams, his speed was deemed 'average' and he ultimately went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft.[9][10]
Although Reyes attended tryouts for the Canadian Football League afterwards, he had no desire to play for a league that was not top-level.[11] Depressed about the apparent end to his NFL dreams, Reyes returned home to California and worked in construction.[11] He would go on to work manual labor for his father's cabinetry business.[12] He trained for MMA at Combat Cage Academy, his brother Alexander's gym, initially to stay in shape and vent frustration.[11][13] Reyes started competing in amateur MMA fights shortly after.[13][14]
In 2017, Reyes accepted a job as an IT Technical Support Specialist at Oak Hills High School in Oak Hills, California.[11] He left the job after two years to focus on UFC full-time. ESPN's Hallie Grossman described his life during this time as "pulling Clark Kent-ish double duty: by day, he was the technology nerd who made sure the campus internet ran smoothly and installed new computers in classrooms. By night, he was the fighter trying to carve a place for himself in MMA, in King of the Cage and Legacy Fighting Alliance and eventually, finally, the UFC."[12]
If I train hard and do what I have to do in order to prepare myself for an upcoming fight, I should be in position to win. With football, you can do everything right, and because of the variety of factors that’s involved in a game; the result may not go in your favor. With MMA, I feel I have a greater control of my destiny.[14]
— Dominick Reyes
Mixed martial arts career edit
Early career edit
Before signing with the UFC, Reyes amassed an amateur record of 5–0 and was twice the U of MMA champion[15] during his amateur career.[16]
Prior to entering the UFC, Reyes amassed a professional record of 6–0 including a victory that went viral on the internet against Jordan Powell who seemed to be showboating before being knocked out with a head kick.[17][18][19]
Ultimate Fighting Championship edit
Reyes made his promotional debut for the UFC on June 25, 2017, against Joachim Christensen at UFC Fight Night 112.[20][21] He won the bout via technical knockout in the opening minute of the fight,[22] and he earned the Performance of the Night bonus.[23]
Reyes faced Jeremy Kimball on December 2, 2017, at UFC 218.[24] Reyes won the fight via submission in the first round.[25]
Reyes faced Jared Cannonier on May 19, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 129.[26] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[27]
Reyes faced Ovince Saint Preux on October 6, 2018, at UFC 229.[28] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[29]
Reyes faced Volkan Oezdemir on March 16, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 5.[30] Reyes won the back-and-forth fight by split decision.[31] 11 media outlets scored the fight in favor of Oezdemir while 8 media outlets scored it for Reyes.[32][33]
Reyes faced Chris Weidman on October 18, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 6 in the main event.[34] He won the fight via knockout in round one.[35] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[36]
Reyes faced Jon Jones on February 8, 2020, for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 247. He lost the fight via a controversial unanimous decision.[37][38][39] 14 of 21 media outlets scored the contest for Reyes, with 7 scoring it for Jones.[40]
Reyes faced Jan Błachowicz for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on September 27, 2020 at UFC 253.[41] He lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round.[42]
Reyes was expected to face the inaugural and former Rizin FF Light Heavyweight Champion Jiří Procházka on February 27, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 186 to serve as the event headliner.[43] However, on late January, it was reported that Reyes was pulled from the fight, citing injury, and the bout was rescheduled for May 1 at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka.[44][45] In a back and forth fight, Reyes managed to stun Procházka a few times, but was eventually overwhelmed by Procházka's volume, and was knocked out via a spinning back elbow in the second round.[46] Reyes suffered multiple facial fractures in his knockout defeat to Procházka.[47] This bout earned Reyes a Fight of the Night bonus award.[48]
Reyes faced Ryan Spann on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281.[49] At the weigh-ins, Spann weighed in at 206.6 pounds, six tenths of a pound over the light heavyweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight with Spann fined 20% of his purse, which went to Reyes.[50] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[51]
Reyes is scheduled to face Carlos Ulberg on January 20, 2024, at UFC 297.[52]
Personal life edit
Reyes was nicknamed "The Devastator" because of his kicks.[14] He is a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers and he enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding, mountain bike riding, dirt bike riding, and watching documentary shows on TV.[13] Reyes has an older brother, Alex Reyes, who has competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[53]
Championships and accomplishments edit
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Joachim Christensen and Chris Weidman[23][36]
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Jiří Procházka[48]
Mixed martial arts record edit
| 16 matches | 12 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 3 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 12–4 | Ryan Spann | KO (punches) | UFC 281 | November 12, 2022 | 1 | 1:20 | New York City, New York, United States | Catchweight (206.6 lb) bout; Spann missed weight. |
| Loss | 12–3 | Jiří Procházka | KO (spinning back elbow) | UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka | May 1, 2021 | 2 | 4:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 12–2 | Jan Błachowicz | TKO (punches) | UFC 253 | September 27, 2020 | 2 | 4:36 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | For the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Loss | 12–1 | Jon Jones | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 247 | February 8, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 12–0 | Chris Weidman | KO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman | October 18, 2019 | 1 | 1:43 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 11–0 | Volkan Oezdemir | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal | March 16, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 10–0 | Ovince Saint Preux | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 229 | October 6, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | Jared Cannonier | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman | May 19, 2018 | 1 | 2:55 | Santiago, Chile | |
| Win | 8–0 | Jeremy Kimball | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 218 | December 2, 2017 | 1 | 3:39 | Detroit, Michigan, United States | |
| Win | 7–0 | Joachim Christensen | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee | June 25, 2017 | 1 | 0:29 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 6–0 | Jordan Powell | KO (head kick) | LFA 13 | June 2, 2017 | 1 | 0:53 | Burbank, California, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Marcus Govan | KO (head kick) | Hoosier Fight Club 32 | February 11, 2017 | 1 | 0:27 | Michigan City, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Tyler Smith | TKO (punches) | King of the Cage: Martial Law | September 18, 2016 | 1 | 1:35 | Ontario, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Kelly Gray | Decision (unanimous) | King of the Cage: Sinister Intentions | October 17, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Jessie Glass | Submission (guillotine choke) | Gladiator Challenge: Carnage | April 3, 2015 | 1 | 0:55 | Rancho Mirage, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Jose Rivas Jr. | TKO (punches) | King of the Cage: Fisticuffs | December 4, 2014 | 1 | 3:23 | Highland, California, United States | Light Heavyweight debut. |
Pay-per-view bouts edit
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV Buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 247 | Jones vs. Reyes | February 8, 2020 | Toyota Center | Houston, Texas, United States | Not Disclosed[55] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Dominick Reyes Stats - Season & Career Statistics". www.foxsports.com.
- ^ a b "Dominick Reyes ("The Devastator") | MMA Fighter Page | Tapology". Tapology. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes | UFC". www.ufc.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes". fightmatrix.com. from the original on August 31, 2016.
- ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes Reflects On Path To UFC Title Shot". Long Island Weekly. 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
- ^ . www.latinosports.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ "Interception Gives Stony Brook a Win at the End over Albany". www.college-sports-journal.com. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 2019-12-26.
- ^ a b Valentine, Ed (2013-02-13). "2013 NFL Draft: Dominick Reyes hopes for a chance". Big Blue View. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- ^ "Ex-Stony Brook football stud Dominick Reyes fights on main card at UFC 229". GreaterPortJeff - greaterlongisland.com. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- ^ a b c d Sam, Doric (2017-09-20). "Dominick Reyes Isn't Finished". Medium. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
- ^ a b "How Dominick Reyes went from high school IT guy to title contender". ESPN.com. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ a b c James Lynch (2017-01-31), Undefeated LHW Dominick Reyes talks Feb.11 fight, training at Elevation Fight Team & Netflix, retrieved 2017-06-23
- ^ a b c . www.latinosports.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ . www.latinosports.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Dominick". Sherdog. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ^ "Remember the guy who head-kick KO'd that cocky opponent? He got a UFC deal". 9 June 2017.
- ^ "LFA 13 fighter brutally head-kicks cocky opponent for possible 'Knockout of the Year'". 3 June 2017.
- ^ "LFA 13 Results & Highlights: Dominick Reyes Lands KO of the Year Contender - MMAWeekly.com". www.mmaweekly.com.
- ^ "Thursday Fight Update". 14 September 2018.
- ^ Dale Jordan (2017-06-09). "Azamat Murzakanov out of bout with Joachim Christensen, Dominick Reyes now makes UFC debut". mmamad.com. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
- ^ "UFC-OKC results: Dominick Reyes follows up 'KO of Year' candidate with big finish in UFC debut". MMAjunkie. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
- ^ a b "UFC Fight Night 112 bonuses: Controversy in main event, but Kevin Lee still gets $50,000". MMAjunkie. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
- ^ Nolan King (2017-09-15). . mma-today.com. Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ "UFC 218 results: No fancy KO this time, but Dominick Reyes submits Jeremy Kimball in first". MMAjunkie. 2017-12-02. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ^ Staff (2018-03-13). "Jared Cannonier-Dominick Reyes set for UFC debut in Chile". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 129 results: Dominick Reyes stays perfect, stops Jared Cannonier in first". MMAjunkie. 2018-05-20. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ Adam Hill (2018-08-09). "5 bouts added to McGregor-headlined UFC 229 card in Las Vegas". reviewjournal.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
- ^ "UFC 229 play-by-play and live results". MMAjunkie. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- ^ Oleś, Bartosz (2018-12-30). "Doniesienia: Volkan Oezdemir vs. Dominick Reyes na UFC on ESPN+5 w Londynie". InTheCage.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ "UFC London results: Dominick Reyes stays unbeaten, squeaks by Volkan Oezdemir". MMA Junkie. 2019-03-16. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes def. Volkan Oezdemir :: UFC on ESPN+ 5 :: MMA Decisions". mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes, Jan Blachowicz meet for vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 253". MMA Junkie. 2020-08-19. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- ^ "Ex-UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman to make light heavyweight debut vs. Dominick Reyes". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
- ^ Doherty, Dan (2019-10-19). "UFC Boston Results: Dominick Reyes Flattens Chris Weidman in First Round". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
- ^ a b Fernando Quiles Jr. (2019-10-19). "UFC Boston Bonuses, Live Gate & Attendance Revealed". mmanews.com. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
- ^ Mazique, Brian. "UFC 247: Controversial Judging Is The Story Of Saturday's PPV [UPDATED]". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ "UFC 247 scorecard has Jones vs Reyes 'a majority draw'". South China Morning Post. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ Evanoff, Josh (2020-02-09). "UFC 247 Results: Jon Jones Edges Out Dominick Reyes". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Jon Jones def. Dominick Reyes:: UFC 247:: MMA Decisions". mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes, Jan Blachowicz meet for vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 253". MMA Junkie. 2020-08-19. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- ^ Fuentes, Jon (2020-09-27). "UFC 253 Results: Jan Blachowicz Crushes Dominick Reyes". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ Okamoto, Brett (2020-10-27). "Dominick Reyes, Jiri Prochazka to headline UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
- ^ Alexander Mookie (2021-01-30). "Reyes vs. Prochazka out, Rozenstruik vs. Gane in as UFC Fight Night headliner for Feb. 27". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
- ^ Damon Martin (2021-02-03). "Dominick Reyes injured, fight against Jiri Prochazka expected to be rescheduled for later date". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ^ Doherty, Dan (2021-05-02). "UFC Vegas 25 Results: Jiri Prochazka Lands Stunning Elbow to KO Dominick Reyes". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
- ^ Mike Pendleton (2021-05-03). "UFC on ESPN 23 medical suspensions: Prochazka, Reyes". mixedmartialarts.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ a b Staff (2021-05-02). "UFC on ESPN 23 bonuses: Jiri Prochazka double-dips for $100,000". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
- ^ Mike Bohn (2022-08-15). "Dominick Reyes returns against Ryan Spann at UFC 281 in New York". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (2022-11-11). "UFC 281 weigh-in results: Alex Pereira makes weight at last minute, 2 miss". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ Val Dewar (2022-11-12). "UFC 281: Ryan Spann Makes Short Work of Returning Dominick Reyes". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "Dominick Reyes' Return Booked For UFC 297, Opponent Revealed". mmanews.com.
- ^ Dominick Reyes | Food Truck Diaries | BELOW THE BELT with Brendan Schaub, retrieved 2020-02-06
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Dominick". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes | MMA Event". Tapology.