Jon Jones Open To Dominick Reyes Rematch, Says “He Can Try 1,000 Times And I’ll Edge Him Every Time”
Jon Jones had a tough night in the Octagon at UFC 247, going five-hard rounds with Dominick Reyes. In the end, Jones did enough to retain his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, picking up a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 49-46).
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Jones said he is open to a rematch with Reyes.
“It’s my job to embrace the toughest challenges. That’s what being a champion is about. I fought [Daniel Cormier] twice. I fought Alexander Gustafsson twice. If people want to see me fight Dominick again, it’s gonna be up to Dana White to make that happen.”
Later in the press conference, Jones was informed that Dana White called Reyes the future of the Light Heavyweight division. Reyes, 30, is two years younger than Jones.
Jones replied, “I don’t mind sharing my future with Dominick. I don’t think Dominick had any excuses to lose to tonight. He lost. He was close. They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. He can try 1,000 times, I believe I’ll edge him every single time.”
When asked about a potential fight with UFC Middleweight Champion Isreal Adesanya, Jones gave a “no comment.” He was later asked about potentially moving up to heavyweight, which has been teased for years, but never came to fruition as Jones has continued to defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Jones said about staying at light heavyweight, “At the end of the day, there are great challenges. As long as these guys have aspirations to be the best in the world, I’ll always have a job at light heavyweight. I can never think that I’m invincible. It’s obvious that I’m not. There’s lots of work to be done. They say styles make matchups, we saw that tonight. There’s lots of work to be done at light heavyweight.”
Both Reyes and UFC President Dana White were also open to the possibility of a rematch between Jones and Reyes, but nothing was made official.
You can listen to or watch Fightful’s watch along of the UFC 247 main event by clicking here.
If you use any of the quotes above, please give a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.