Dominick Reyes has a theory as to why Jon Jones moved up to heavyweight.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jones recently vacated his title, as he plans on moving up to heavyweight for his next fight. Dominick Reyes, who lost a controversial unanimous decision to Jones at UFC 247, says the former champ is moving up because heavyweights are slower.
“It was a little bit shocking,” Reyes told on Ariel Helwani of Jones' departure from 205. (via Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting). “But at the same time, not because I try to look at things from other peoples’ perspectives and what they’ve been through and what leads to whatever decision they make and if you look at it, Jon, I think, truly in his heartfelt like he won that fight unanimously and he has nothing else to prove in the division. Either that or he’s like, ‘Hey man, I could really lose my belt to this guy. Let’s avoid that and we’ll just vacate and go up to heavyweight and make a run at the title.’ He’s moving to heavyweight because those guys are slow, you do realize that, right? He can’t keep up with us anymore. After what me and Thiago did to him, he’s like, ‘Man, I need to go up. These guys are getting too fast, they’re getting too athletic, they’re getting too good. The heavyweights are still slow. I can do my thing against them.’ I think he sees that there are better matchups for him at heavyweight than there are at light heavyweight.”
Jones did not take too kindly to what Reyes said about his move to heavyweight, stating the following on Twitter:
I literally had to leave it all out there the night I beat Gus, my last fight I ended comfortably scoring points. Gus pushed me to a place I have still yet to see again
— BONY (@JonnyBones) August 20, 2020
Both DC and Gus faced fatalities in our rematches, now for the first time in my career I’m terrified to have a rematch? If you believe this narrative, slap yourself
— BONY (@JonnyBones) August 20, 2020
Reyes will next fight at UFC 253 against Jan Blachowicz for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship. Fightful will provide live coverage of the event headlined by Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa on September 26.
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