Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
With UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones holding up the 205-pound division, thanks to a retirement that recently shifted to a jump to heavyweight, Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz will compete for the next crack at the division crown.
Or for the vacated title if “Bones” in fact heads north.
Those details are still being worked out, according to ESPN, but would probably be the fastest way to get the division back on track. That also helps the No. 2-ranked Thiago Santos, who will have one less contender to worry about.
Assuming “Marreta” beats Glover Teixeira next month in Las Vegas.
Reyes (12-1) is coming off a razor-thin loss to Jones at UFC 247 back in February, which stands as the only defeat of his professional career. As for Blachowicz (26-8), he’s the winner of three straight, having recently stiffened Corey Anderson at UFC Fight Night 167.
I think at this point it’s safe to assume Reyes and Blachowicz will be competing at the UFC 253 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Sept. 26, presumably on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, we just have to wait and see what’s on the line for the winner.