Dominick Reyes: Jon Jones Is Just A Man With ‘Many Insecurities’
Dominick Reyes will get his shot at doing the unthinkable, as he’s set to face off against UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Jones and Reyes headline the UFC 247 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on February 8. Many have stepped up over the years in an attempt to hand Jones the first legitimate loss of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, but “Bones” has managed to emerge victorious each time. It’s gotten to a point where merely defeating Jones might become a bigger accomplishment in of itself than actually winning the 205-pound title.
However, that’s not how Reyes feels. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Reyes stated that winning the title will solidify him in the record books forever. Beating Jones would simply be the cherry on top.
“(If) I win the belt, I’m in the record books forever – period” Jones said. “I beat Jon, now it’s the cherry on top. Now it’s creeping into legendary status. But that’s just a nice little cherry on top. For me, winning the belt is everything.”
Jones has established himself as, arguably, the greatest mixed martial artist of all time over the years. He has defeated every opponent thrown his way, of every style of fighting, and managed to come out on top, oftentimes beating those individuals at their own game.
Many tend to lose to Jones before they even step into the Octagon with him due to sheer intimidation. However, when Reyes came face-to-face with Jones at their UFC 247 press conference earlier this month, Reyes didn’t feel intimidated at all.
“I wasn’t intimidated at all,” Reyes said. “It was interesting. 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.
“I thought he was going to be glowing or some (expletive). My whole life, I grew up watching this guy and exuding all this different kind of energy, and when I saw him and I faced off this far away from him, I was like, ‘This guy is just a man with many insecurities.’ You can see it all over him.”
Of course, we’ve heard this type of talk before from fighters about to fight Jones. Everyone swears they won’t become consumed by the moment of standing inside the same Octagon as him, but most end up eating their words. Reyes is aware of this, but insists his story will have a far different outcome.
“Every single person is trying to tell you that, ‘Oh my God, you’re fighting Jon Jones. What are you going to do?’ I’m gonna fight. I’m gonna do what I’m great at. I’m gonna do what I love doing. People think it’s a lot more. It’s still a fight. It’s just a fight.”
What do you think of Reyes calling Jones a man with “many insecurities?”
