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UFC president Dana White has mad respect for light heavyweight title contender Dominick Reyes.
Eleven elite fighters have tried, and all of them have failed to win the UFC light heavyweight title from Jon Jones. At UFC 246, “Bones” will welcome his 12th challenger, the undefeated Dominick Reyes.
Like Jones’ previous challengers, “The Devastator” poses a threat to Jones’ title reign, but for UFC president Dana White, this could be the biggest fight for the reigning 205-pound king.
“That’s such a massive fight for Jon Jones. Dominick Reyes is a bad boy,” White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “And young, hungry, this is going to be a very interesting fight for Jon Jones. Dominick Reyes isn’t this big name guy that you know, but if you know fighting, Dominick Reyes is the real deal. And a very tough challenge for Jones.
“If he gets through this fight, and wins again, Jones is a freak of nature.”
Other plans on Jones’ horizon is a possible move to heavyweight. White, however, is not counting on it.
“I don’t know about him going to heavyweight,” he said. “I think he’s comfortable at light heavyweight, and every time that you think there’s not another challenger for Jon Jones, there’s another challenger for Jon Jones.
“I don’t know, we’ll have to see how this thing plays out. He has to get through Dominick Reyes first before you even start thinking about heavyweight or anything else.”
UFC 247 takes place on February 8th in Houston, Texas.