MMA Knockout

UFC 314 main card star had fans convinced he beat Jon Jones

Throwback to when fans thought Dominick Reyes defeated Jon Jones at UFC 247.

Mathew Riddle

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

UFC 314 features the return of one of the most hard-done fighters in the UFC, Dominick Reyes.

Once one of the hottest prospects in the UFC light heavyweight division, Reyes suffered a brutal skid of four losses. Making a remarkable comeback in 2024, Reyes returns to fight again at UFC 314 against vicious finisher Nikita Krylov.

It's a pick'em fight, but seasoned fans remember Reyes as the man who arguably beat the greatest of all time, Jon Jones.

Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Dominick Reyes (blue gloves) during UFC 247 at Toyota Center.
Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Dominick Reyes (blue gloves) during UFC 247 at Toyota Center. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

When 76.6% of hardcore MMA fans thought Jon Jones was defeated

Entering his fight with Jones at UFC 247, Reyes was a sizeable underdog, and for good reason. Aside from Thiago Santos, Jones had not so much as struggled with an opponent since defeating Daniel Cormier in 2015.

Reyes maintained an undefeated record of 11-0, and many fans thought it was going to be another steamroll fight for 'Bones,' but they couldn't have been more wrong.

From the opening gate, Reyes went straight for the jugular, giving Jones absolutely no regard and backing him to the cageside with flurries of punches and kicks. That opening frame in 2020 was the most trouble Jones had had in years, and it was a round banked for 'The Devastator'.

The same continued in round two where Reyes practically chased Jones around the Octagon and landed a monstrous head kick that would have dropped lesser men.

Round three was more tentative, but Reyes landed the better strikes, including an uppercut that had Jones' chin facing the ceiling.

Jones edged out rounds four and five with his veteran grit and grappling, but in the eyes of many observers, Reyes might have done enough to defeat the undefeated by winning three rounds.

When Bruce Buffer announced the fight as a unanimous decision for Jones, the MMA world collectively recoiled.

As per MMA Decisions, 14 of 21 media members scored the fight 48-47 Reyes, and 76.6 percent of 6,889 fan scorecards also had Reyes winning. Only 20.8 percent picked Jones, with 2.6 percent picking a draw.

To this day, Reyes-Jones remains one of the most contested fights in UFC history. To make matters worse, Jones never fought again at light heavyweight, and Reyes endured a three knockout losses in a row.

He gets a chance to find greatness again when he fights Krylov in the featured prelim of UFC 314.

More MMA Knockout News


Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Published |Modified
Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

Home/News