Jon Jones Set a Record at UFC 247, but Not Before Reyes Made Him Look Mortal - Bleacher Report - Latest News, Videos and Highlig

More Annotations

Favourite Annotations

Text

BLEACHER REPORT

Sports journalists and bloggers covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MMA, college football and basketball, NASCAR, fantasy sports and more. News, photos, mock drafts, game NFL | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND Bleacher Report @BleacherReport. Dak Prescott is getting to the BAG this offseason 💰 - He signed a four-year, $160M extension - Now is the highest paid NFL player on Jordan Brand LEVELS

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Get the latest Toronto Maple Leafs news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report NBA | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo. Damian Lillard is the first player in NBA history with at least 50 points, 10 assists and 10 three-pointers in a game, regular season or playoffs. https://t.co NFL RUMORS | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, VIDEOS AND Get the latest NFL Rumors news, photos, rankings, lists and more on

Bleacher Report

WWE | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND Get the latest WWE news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher

Report

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

BLEACHER REPORT

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Bleacher Report

WWE | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND Get the latest WWE news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher

Report

THE PERFECT OFFSEASON TRADE TARGET FOR EVERY NBA TEAM Every NBA team should be compiling a list of their potential trade targets this summer, regardless of whether they're still in the playoffs or not. Of course, these have to be at least somewhat

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

5 NFL Teams Under the Most Pressure to Make the Playoffs in 2021 ⏳ - Arizona Cardinals - Chicago Bears - Denver Broncos - Las Vegas Raiders - New York Giants (via B/R’s @MoeMoton) https://t.co B/R LIVE – WATCH LIVE SPORTS ONLINE Stream NBA League Pass, All Elite Wrestling, National Lacrosse League and much more on Bleacher Report Live, where we make it easy to watch your favorite live sports. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM Get the latest Washington Football Team news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report NHL PLAYOFFS 2021: UPDATED STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS BRACKET No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 4 Montreal Canadiens. Game 1: Monday at 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network Game 2: Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network Game 3: NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE 2021: FORMAT, START TIME, LINEUP, TV The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race will be run at a new venue with a different format than in previous years. Some of NASCAR's best

drivers will

KREJCIKOVA DEFEATS PAVLYUCHENKOVA TO WIN 2021 FRENCH OPEN Barbora Krejcikova captured her first Grand Slam singles title Saturday with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 2021 French Open women's final NBA PLAYERS WHO COULD BECOME STARS BY NEXT SEASON After looking like one of the worst defenders in the NBA with a ho-hum offensive rookie season (12.3 points, 3.9 assists, 40.1 percent shooting), Garland took a massive jump in Year 2. COLLEGE BASEBALL SUPER REGIONALS 2021: RESULTS, HIGHLIGHTS Four Super Regional series kicked off across college baseball on Friday as the NCAA draws closer to naming a 2021 College World Series

champion.

FANTASY BASKETBALL 2021: DAILY FANTASY PICKS FOR SATURDAY The Los Angeles Clippers need to win Game 3 against the Utah Jazz on their home floor to be competitive in their Western Conference semifinal series. The extra motivation to WWE RUMORS: SAMOA JOE VISITS PERFORMANCE CENTER AMID BUZZ Recently released WWE Superstar Samoa Joe was reportedly at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, this week. According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), the UFC 263 FIGHT CARD: PPV SCHEDULE, ODDS, PREDICTIONS FOR 7 hours ago · The UFC will bring a star-studded card to the Gila River Arena in Scottdale, Arizona headlined by a middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya

TORONTO RAPTORS

Get the latest Toronto Raptors news, photos, rankings, lists and more

on Bleacher Report

NEW YORK YANKEES

MLB Draft 2021: N.J.’s Jack Leiter, son of ex-Yankees, Mets pitcher Al Leiter, tumbles in latest ranking of top prospects. nj.

BLEACHER REPORT

Sports journalists and bloggers covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MMA, college football and basketball, NASCAR, fantasy sports and more. News, photos, mock drafts, game

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Get the latest Toronto Maple Leafs news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report NFL RUMORS | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, VIDEOS AND Get the latest NFL Rumors news, photos, rankings, lists and more on

Bleacher Report

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

br_betting @br_betting. AL MVP race is heating up 🔥 @BRWalkoff 🔴 Ohtani 16 HRs, .920 OPS, 2.76 ERA 🔵 Vlad Jr. 18 HRs, .333 AVG, 1.098 OPS Who ya got? B/R LIVE – WATCH LIVE SPORTS ONLINE Stream NBA League Pass, All Elite Wrestling, National Lacrosse League and much more on Bleacher Report Live, where we make it easy to watch your favorite live sports.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Get the latest Vancouver Canucks news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

5 NFL Teams Under the Most Pressure to Make the Playoffs in 2021 ⏳ - Arizona Cardinals - Chicago Bears - Denver Broncos - Las Vegas Raiders - New York Giants (via B/R’s @MoeMoton) https://t.co

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Get the latest Chicago Blackhawks news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM Get the latest Washington Football Team news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report

BUFFALO SABRES

Get the latest Buffalo Sabres news, photos, rankings, lists and more

on Bleacher Report

BLEACHER REPORT

Sports journalists and bloggers covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MMA, college football and basketball, NASCAR, fantasy sports and more. News, photos, mock drafts, game

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Bleacher Report

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Get the latest Vancouver Canucks news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

5 NFL Teams Under the Most Pressure to Make the Playoffs in 2021 ⏳ - Arizona Cardinals - Chicago Bears - Denver Broncos - Las Vegas Raiders - New York Giants (via B/R’s @MoeMoton) https://t.co

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

BUFFALO SABRES

Get the latest Buffalo Sabres news, photos, rankings, lists and more

on Bleacher Report

NHL | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND Adam Kimelman @NHLAdamK. Also of note: Darnell Nurse played 15:32 in overtime - yes, that's all but 4:28 of the period. 10 shifts, averaging 1:33 per shift, including one shift that lasted 4:47 NFL | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND Get the latest NFL news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher

Report

NBA RUMORS | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, VIDEOS AND NBA Execs Suggest Cavs Trade Sexton. Cleveland could explore trading the 22-year-old guard to avoid signing him to a long-term extension (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Tyler Conway. via Bleacher Report MLB RUMORS | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, VIDEOS AND Pujols Signs with Dodgers for $420K. 10-time All-Star signs deal with the Dodgers after being released by Angels this week (LA Times) Rob Goldberg. via Bleacher Report. MLB Trade Rumors WWE | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, RUMORS, SCORES AND Get the latest WWE news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher

Report

MLS | BLEACHER REPORT | LATEST NEWS, VIDEOS AND HIGHLIGHTS Get the latest MLS news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher

Report

CLARESSA SHIELDS DEFEATS BRITTNEY ELKIN BY 3RD-ROUND TKO 6 hours ago · World champion boxer Claressa Shields officially kicked off her MMA career with a win, beating Brittney Elking by third-round TKO to close out 2021 PFL 4 GOLDEN KNIGHTS ELIMINATE AVALANCHE, WILL FACE CANADIENS IN The Vegas Golden Knights have earned a second-round playoff series victory over the Colorado Avalanche after defeating the visitors 6-3

on Thursday at T

DONOVAN MITCHELL DROPS 37, LIFTS JAZZ TO 2-0 LEAD VS The Utah Jazz held serve at home. Utah extended its lead in its second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers to 2-0 with a 117-111 victory in Thursday's Game 2 at Vivint Arena

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

br_betting @br_betting. AL MVP race is heating up 🔥 @BRWalkoff 🔴 Ohtani 16 HRs, .920 OPS, 2.76 ERA 🔵 Vlad Jr. 18 HRs, .333 AVG, 1.098 OPS Who ya got? By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy

and Terms of Use.

Close Icon

Bleacher Report Logo

* NFL

* NBA

* CFB

* World Football

* MLB

* NHL

* More

* Shows

* B/R Live

* Mag

* Get the App

* B/R Shop

* Sign Up

* Login

* Facebook Logo

* Twitter Logo

* Copy Link Icon

Bleacher Report LogoUFC 247 JON JONES SET A RECORD AT UFC 247, BUT NOT BEFORE REYES MADE HIM LOOK

MORTAL

Scott Harris @ScottHarrisMMATwitter Logo MMA Lead WriterFebruary 9, 2020439 CommentsComment Bubble Icon Dominick Reyes (left) and Jon JonesJosh Hedges/Getty Images Someone woke up this morning, looked at the sports ticker and saw the raw truth: Jon Jones defeated Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision. But there was another key takeaway Saturday at UFC 247, even if it isn't the tidiest thing to quantify. It turns out Jones might be human

after all.

Yes, indeed. Jones (26-1 ) took down the previously undefeated Reyes (12-1) in the main event in Houston. But not before Reyes outstruck and outhustled the champ for significant stretches—and put him in more trouble than he's ever been in before, at least inside an Octagon. Fights that close can never be considered robberies, but no one would have blinked at the sight of the challenger leaving the office with a championship belt. "Dominick Reyes did a tremendous job," Jones told broadcaster Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight. " totally earned my respect. That was a great fight. ... He landed some tough shots." With the win, Jones eclipsed welterweight GOAT Georges St-Pierre for most title wins in UFC history with 14 and tied another GOAT, flyweight Demetrious Johnson,

with

12 title defenses. Warts and all, Jones is the best MMA fighter ever. Most fight fans will point to Alexander Gustafsson as Jones' toughest test. It was a grueling matchup and an all-time classic, with Gustafsson opening a cut on Jones early before ultimately dropping a nip-and-tuck decision. But Jones was never rocked. He never has been. That is, until UFC 247. And the man who did it was Reyes, who devised a terrific game plan and had the skill and the will to pull it off. Reyes stayed on his wheels from the jump, circling and attacking and minimizing exposure to Jones' lethal leg kicks. One Jones kick elicited a perfect counter left from Reyes that caught Jones off-balance and knocked him on his backside. That's not something you see much. Jones quickly regained his footing, but Reyes had stung the champ, and he stung him a few more times after to send Jones reeling back toward the fence. The audience inhaled sharply. At a bare minimum, the sequence forced Jones out of autopilot and won Reyes the round. That ceaseless movement resumed in the second, with Reyes charging forward at any hint of blood in the water. About a minute in, Jones, seeming almost bewildered by Reyes' activity, literally turned his back and ran to escape yet another onslaught. Reyes landed more significant strikes in two rounds than previous Jones opponent Thiago Santos did in five, according to the ESPN broadcast. Once again:

advantage Reyes.

As the third began, Reyes was slowing down—it would have been impossible not to. Jones capitalized by turning up the pressure, but Reyes simply refused to give in, keeping up his movement and output as much as his body would allow. At the same time, Jones checked or slipped many of Reyes' shots, meaning it looked worse for the champ at a glance than it really was. This was the closest round of the fight. That brings us to the fourth. Sometimes a punch makes a certain sound when it truly lands flush across the jaw. Something like a third baseman's glove stopping a line drive. In any case, a Reyes punch combination made that sound on Jones' mug about a minute into the round. Jones began to bleed from his nose, but more telling was his

reaction.

Jones immediately went for the safety takedown—and was visibly disoriented as he did so. He managed to tie up Reyes along the fence, holding on with all his might until the world could stop spinning out of his control. Jones was hurt! He was bleeding his own blood! It might have been a wakeup call for Jones. Once the cobwebs cleared, he began looking for proper takedowns. He started getting them, too. Each time Reyes was quick to get back to his feet, but the takedowns still had the desired effect on the judges—if they hadn't, we'd have a new champion. So, smart strategy by Jones. The counter-argument runs that takedowns in themselves can't score points, that it's the damage associated (or not associated) with the takedown that matters. But we all know that in the real world, especially in locales like the Lone

Star State

,

judges take a much more, shall we say, interpretive approach. Jones can't be faulted for taking what the system gives him. The takedowns plus Jones' pressure down the stretch appeared to finally drive Reyes' gas tank down to fumes, as he outlanded Reyes going away. Even by Reyes' post-fight estimation, Jones won the final

two frames.

Josh Hedges/Getty Images Strike statistics are not the be-all and end-all of anything, but it's interesting to note that, per the broadcast stats, Jones landed far and away the most strikes of any round that night in the fifth, with 25 of his 96 total strikes coming in the final frame. Oh, by the way, Reyes landed 103 total strikes. Those aforementioned Texas judges had a rough night, with an indefensible undercard decision marring the evening, but the 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 scorecard was not a robbery, even if one of the judges believed Jones had won four rounds. (That just isn't correct.) Still, it didn't affect the outcome. A close fight is a close fight. "I knew it was a really close fight, and I turned it on in the end," Jones told Rogan. "That fifth round won me the fight. ... I think the difference in the fight was that and those takedowns." As one might anticipate, Reyes saw it differently. "I thought I had one, two, three," he told Rogan. "He was on me four and five. He's a champion, he pushed me and he got those takedowns at the end. But I popped right back up, so I didn't think they'd be a factor. But I had him one, two, three. But it is what it is." Reyes made a name for himself Saturday on a large stage. Gustafsson might still be Jones' closest fight, but this was the first time Jones really had his bell rung. Michael Wyke/Associated Press This could all be just what the doctor ordered. There's been plenty of noise about the competitiveness of the light heavyweight division in a Jones context, as well as the potential for him to move to heavyweight (for the record, he was noncommittal after the fight). But this sets up an easy rematch, sooner or later. Jones could continue his grim march down to the bitter end of the division, until he's eliminated any and all signs of opposition. In which case, how about the winner of next Saturday's bout between Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz? Why not? Of course, a move to heavyweight is always on the radar, but there's a good chance it would be a long-term switch. Most moves like that, at least when done fully of a fighter's own volition, tend to happen later in careers. At 32 years old, there's still time for Jones. If you're going to leave 205, you might as well leave it a moonscape. Meanwhile, there's all sorts of fun to be had with the newly minted contender. Personally, I vote for Reyes and the winner in March's bout between Nikita Krylov and Johnny Walker. No way that wouldn't be fun. Through that lens, it's easy to argue that both men benefitted from the outcome. Reyes announced himself as the real deal and Jones continued his ascent toward some singular place where only he can go. For now, though, Reyes just showed everyone Jones still has some competition down here on Earth.

_Scott Harris writes about MMA and other sports for Bleacher Report. _

* Facebook Logo

* Twitter Logo

* Copy Link Icon

JON JONES: JOINING WWE IS 'INEVITABLE' UFC champ says possibility of WWE appearance would 'be a dream come

true'

MMA

JON JONES: JOINING WWE IS 'INEVITABLE' Mike Chiari via Bleacher Report WAS REYES 'ROBBED' VS. JONES? @BR_MMA crew debate whether the judges got Jones-Reyes all wrong

MMA

WAS REYES 'ROBBED' VS. JONES? Kelsey McCarson via Bleacher

Report

THE REAL WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM UFC 247

MMA

THE REAL WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM UFC 247 Lyle Fitzsimmons via Bleacher

Report

JON JONES TAKES OUT REYES Bones hands Dominick Reyes his first career loss via unanimous decision at UFC 247 to keep UFC light heavyweight belt

MMA

JON JONES TAKES OUT REYES Alex Ballentine via Bleacher

Report

Close Icon

Follow UFC News on Facebook! BR's UFC Facebook Page Bleacher Report Logo

* Facebook Logo

* Twitter Logo

* Instagram Logo

* About

* Advertise

* Contact Us

* Careers

* Community Guidelines

* Privacy

* Do Not Sell My Personal Information

* Terms Of Use

* Tickets

* AdChoices

Copyright © 2020 Bleacher Report, Inc. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved. BleacherReport.com is part of Bleacher Report – Turner Sports Network, part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Network. Certain photos copyright © 2020 Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited. AdChoices Turner Logo DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION

YOUR PRIVACY

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

*

SHARE MY DATA WITH 3RD PARTIES SHARE MY DATA WITH 3RD PARTIES Share My Data with 3rd Parties Some of your data collected from this site is used to help create better, more personalized products and services and to send ads and offers tailored to your interests. Occasionally this is done with help from 3rd parties. We understand if you’d rather us not share your information and respect your right to disable this use of your data with our third parties in this browser. To learn more about how your data is shared and for more options, please visit this page.

*

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

More Annotations

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:36:17

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:36:18

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:36:53

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:36:54

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:37:03

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:37:18

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:37:27

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:37:34

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:37:37

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:37:55

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:38:07

Christopher Perez

2020-04-26 08:39:32

Favourite Annotations

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:07

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:12

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:18

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:23

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:24

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:32

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:41

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:46

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:50

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:52

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:08:56

Christopher Perez

2021-03-16 21:09:00

Text

BLEACHER REPORT

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Bleacher Report

Report

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

BLEACHER REPORT

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Bleacher Report

Report

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

drivers will

champion.

TORONTO RAPTORS

on Bleacher Report

NEW YORK YANKEES

BLEACHER REPORT

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Bleacher Report

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

BUFFALO SABRES

on Bleacher Report

BLEACHER REPORT

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Bleacher Report

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

VANCOUVER CANUCKS