Dominick Reyes

Reyes was a four-year Division I starting safety in college for the Stony Brook Seawolves. After going undrafted in 2013, Reyes embarked on a career in mixed martial arts, signing with UFC in 2017 and winning his first 12 fights. Reyes challenged Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on February 8, 2020 at UFC 247, suffering the first defeat of his career via unanimous decision.

Reyes faced Jon Jones on February 8, 2020 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 247. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. 14 of 21 media outlets scored the contest for Reyes, while only 7 scored it for Jones.

If I train hard and do what I have to do in order to prepare myself for an upcoming fight, I should be in position to win. With football, you can do everything right and because of the variety of factors that’s involved in a game; the result may not go in your favor. With MMA, I feel I have a greater control of my destiny.

Reyes faced Volkan Oezdemir on March 16, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 5. Reyes won the back-and-forth fight by split decision. 11 media outlets scored the fight in favor of Oezdemir while 8 media outlets scored it for Reyes.

Reyes faced Chris Weidman on October 18, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 6 in the main event. He won the fight via knockout in round one. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Reyes faced Jared Cannonier on May 19, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 129. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.

Reyes faced Ovince Saint Preux on October 6, 2018 at UFC 229. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

In 2017, Reyes accepted a job as an IT Technical Support Specialist at Oak Hills High School in Oak Hills, California.

Reyes made his promotional debut for the UFC on June 25, 2017 against Joachim Christensen at UFC Fight Night 112. He won the bout via technical knockout in the opening minute of the fight, and he earned the Performance of the Night bonus.

Reyes faced Jeremy Kimball on December 2, 2017 at UFC 218. Reyes won the fight via submission in the first round.

Before signing with the UFC, Reyes amassed an amateur record of 5–0 and was twice the U of MMA champion during his amateur career.

Prior to entering the UFC, Reyes amassed a professional record of 6–0 including a victory that went viral on the internet against Jordan Powell who seemed to be showboating before being knocked out with a head kick.

Reyes was the starting safety for the Stony Brook Seawolves from 2009 to 2012, eventually becoming captain. He twice made the All-Conference team, including being named First Team All-Big South in 2012. He intercepted a pass in the end zone with 54 seconds remaining in the first round of the 2011 FCS Playoffs to give Stony Brook a 31-28 win over in-state rivals Albany. Reyes graduated from Stony Brook as the program's all-time leader in solo tackles (158), recording 259 tackles in total. While he received attention from NFL teams, his speed was deemed 'average' and he ultimately went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Dominick Reyes (born December 26, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former college football player. Reyes competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of February 12, 2020, he is #1 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

Reyes was born in Hesperia, California, on December 26, 1989, and is of Mexican American descent. Reyes was an athlete from a young age: he wrestled and played American football, aspiring to play in the NFL. Reyes grew up in a poor family; his parents encouraged him to pursue sports in order to avoid getting involved with gangs. After graduating from Hesperia High School, he moved to New York to attend Stony Brook University, where he earned his B.S. in Information Systems.