It appears it was Dominick Reyes who was going to get the next shot at Jon Jones.
Jones defeated Reyes in a close unanimous decision victory in the UFC 247 headliner in February. However, many observers felt Reyes had done enough to earn the win as there were calls for an instant rematch.
Jan Blachowicz was another contender looking to get the next crack at the title while Thiago Santos was an outside shot. But according to Reyes, the UFC was looking to book a rematch between him and Jones — at least, until the coronavirus pandemic scuppered those plans:
“Yes, we were talking early fall,” Reyes told ESPN. “We started moving along, moving along, and then [COVID-19]. And that was it.”
Despite the uncertainty when it comes to the UFC schedule as well as whether Jones will remain champion following his recent legal troubles — including aggravated DWI among other things — Reyes believes his next fight will be against the reigning light heavyweight king.
“What I did in our fight, what happened, it was a big event,” Reyes said. “A lot of people talked about it for a long time. They’re still talking about it. I think not just myself, but the people kind of feel cheated with that fight. They want to see it again, see me perform like I did once again. A lot of people think that belt is mine. I agree. So let’s get it.”
Reyes is now hoping Jones doesn’t get suspended by the UFC for his latest actions. That said, what occurred last week was yet another reason why “The Devastator” stopped being a fan of Jones as a person:
“Personally, I hope he doesn’t get suspended, because I really need to rematch him for myself,” Reyes added. “I’ve always respected Jon as a fighter. I’ve always respected him in the Octagon, but outside the Octagon, it’s the same crap he’s been doing before that disappointed me when I was a fan of him.
“I was a fan of him, he did that and it disappointed me and made me not a fan, when he hit that pregnant lady. Now he’s doing the same thing.”
What do you make of the UFC attempting to book Jones vs. Reyes?