Dominick Reyes believes that the feeling of defeating Jon Jones won’t match how he’d feel if he’s announced as the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Reyes will challenge Jones for the UFC 205-pound gold on Feb. 8. The title bout is set to headline UFC 247 inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. This will be Reyes’ first UFC title opportunity, while Jones is hoping for the third successful defense in his current reign.
Reyes Cares About UFC Gold, Not Breaking Jones’ Mystique
Speaking to reporters during a media event, Reyes said that winning UFC gold means a lot more to him than being the first man to “truly” defeat Jones (via MMAJunkie.com).
“(If) I win the belt, I’m in the record books forever – period,” Reyes told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a Thursday media event promoting the bout. “I beat Jon, now it’s the cherry on top. Now it’s creeping into legendary status. But that’s just a nice little cherry on top. For me, winning the belt is everything.”
“The Devastator” went on to say that when he had his first staredown with “Bones,” he wasn’t in awe.
“I wasn’t intimidated at all,” Reyes said. “It was interesting. In the faceoffs, that was the first time I ever met Jon in my life, or even (got) near him. We came face to face, and my heart rate didn’t raise at all. I felt at home. I felt like, ‘This is it. This is Jon Jones.’ The allure of Jon Jones is a lot bigger than he actually is.
“I thought he was going to be glowing or some (expletive). My whole life, I grew up watching this guy and exuding all this different kind of energy, and when I saw him and I faced off this far away from him, I was like, ‘This guy is just a man with many insecurities.’ You can see it all over him.”
