Dominick Reyes recovers his love for MMA

Dominick Reyes began to question his future and his love for mixed martial arts after suffering back-to-back losses in 2020 to Jon Jones and Jan Blachowicz in UFC semi-complete title bouts.

The Mexican-born fighter, who was undefeated in 12 fights as a pro prior to last year, also had issues related to the global pandemic, as his father Jose came down with COVID-19 while Reyes was preparing to fight Blachowicz in September.

The adverse results in and out of the octagon not only affected his record, but also his psyche.

“I was thinking, ‘I can’t wait for my career to be over.’ I didn’t feel like it was worth [continuing],” Reyes said in an interview with ESPN ahead of his return to the octagon this Saturday against Jiri Prochazka in the UFC Fight Night main event bout.

While it’s true that Reyes has never publicly stated his desire to step away from mixed martial arts, it’s clear that when he initially committed to fighting Prochazka, the 31-year-old fighter had yet to emotionally get over his bouts against Jones and Blachowicz.

For a moment, it appeared that Reyes was poised to opt for one of his diverse interests in life, ranging from his passion for off-road vehicles, to construction and a newfound love of poetry.

Eventually, his father recovered from illness, and as he prepared earlier this year for the Prochazka fight, Reyes experienced an emotional turnaround.

“Everything started coming back. All of a sudden, I’m learning again, I’m enjoying myself again, I notice improvements and I’m having fun. That’s how everything started coming back,” Reyes said.

Although he is not the betting favorite in the bout against the former Strikeforce and Rizin champion, Reyes believes it is his opponent who faces a superior challenge.

After all, Reyes’ explosive style has led him to seven knockouts and two submissions in 12 professional victories. Even his loss to Jones in February 2020 can be considered a career bar, as it was an extremely close fight that was decided on the scorecards against one of the best fighters in UFC history.

A quick glance at his highlights is capable of convincing anyone that Reyes, a two-time UFC Performance of the Night award winner, is worthy of his nickname “The Devastator” and that a win over Prochazka can put him on track for another title fight.

“I don’t need to prove anything, not even to myself,” Reyes expresses. “I’ve already climbed the mountain and earned the respect of the world. All I need is to touch the top. There’s no need to [add] that extra pressure on me.”

His opponent, a 28-year-old native of the Czech Republic, has terrorized his opponents by racking up 24 knockouts in 27 wins in bouts organized by different promoters. However, Reyes believes Prochazka has yet to face someone at his level.

“He has never faced someone with an athletic condition equal to his, never. That’s a fact,” Reyes says. “He’s gotten away with being a better fighter and athlete [inside the octagon] for a long time. But now you’re facing the third best in the world, little buddy. If you don’t tighten up, it’s going to be a long night for you? Or a short night.”

Given his two consecutive losses, Reyes is aware that this fight represents a must-win for him, more so than in any of his previous UFC world showdowns, always defined by the most immediate results. Another setback could derail his title dreams. There is the possibility that, with a fighter of Prochazka’s stature, a loss also means suffering a knockout.

Early in Reyes’ career, the mere thought of a loss (let alone three in a row) was a blow to a well-oiled machine. By the fighter’s own admission, the losing streak would have sent him into a spiral of self-doubt. To hear him now full of confidence and optimism contrasts with his mental and emotional state during 2020. Among other factors, Reyes attributes the change to his family and his Mexican heritage.

“If you have Mexican blood in your body, you’re tough. Automatically,” Reyes notes. “To me, my heritage simply represents minding your own business. It’s a ‘never give up’ attitude. Things will happen, there will always be problems, and [you have to] keep fighting.”

Before taking on Jones and Blachowicz, Reyes says he was fighting for “all the wrong reasons,” which made an already complicated situation more difficult, adding what he calls unnecessary stress and pressure. Now, within striking distance of the title, Reyes has learned from the past and his mistakes.