The day Dominick Reyes almost beat Jon Jones: Revisiting UFC champion's closest call with defeat

Jon Jones, widely considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, boasts an impressive record with only one official loss – a disqualification in 2009. However, there's a fight many believe should be etched in his record as a defeat: his highly controversial unanimous decision victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in 2020.

While Jones officially got the decision victory, Reyes' performance left a lasting impression. The challenger dominated statistically, outlanding Jones in significant strikes and displaying relentless aggression. Though Jones countered with higher accuracy, Reyes appeared to do more damage.

The first round was a decisive display of Reyes' dominance. He landed significantly more strikes and secured the round on all three scorecards. While Jones regained control in later rounds, winning on two judges' cards despite being outstruck, the championship rounds proved most controversial.

Jones edged out Reyes with more strikes and takedowns, but many felt the damage inflicted by Reyes throughout the fight should have swayed the outcome.

Check out the fight highlights below:

Despite the statistics favoring Reyes, Jones left the octagon with his light heavyweight title intact.

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Dominick Reyes weighs in on Jon Jones’ decision not to fight Tom Aspinall

Dominick Reyes weighed in on Jon Jones' decision to prioritize a rematch with Stipe Miocic over a fight with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Reyes believes Jones is approaching the heavyweight division with a "risk management" strategy.

In an interview with MiddleEasy, ‘The Devastator’ said:

“I completely understand where Jon [Jones] is coming from. Jon is Jon Jones, say his name anywhere in the world, and people recognize it. Fighting Tom [Aspinall] is a risk management thing. It’s almost the same reason why he didn’t rematch me kind of thing. It’s too dangerous and not enough payoff. Tom is an excellent fighter.”[H?t: BJPenn]

Reyes also compared Aspinall's skillset to his own, highlighting the Brit's well-roundedness and power as potential threats to Jones. He argued that Jones, already a legend, has more to gain by facing Miocic, who many consider the heavyweight GOAT.

Check out Dominic Reyes' interview below: