Jon Jones recalls thinking UFC fighter had his number during title defense: “He was giving me a true f***ing run for my money”
Jon Jones has revealed the one fighter who made him question if he met his match.
Jones has been mostly dominant throughout his pro MMA career. There are some exceptions, however. Back in 2013, he scored “Fight of the Year” honors for his five-round war with Alexander Gustafsson. While “Bones” won the fight via unanimous decision, it was the most damage he had ever taken in his career.
There is one other fighter who nearly had Jones’ number on fight night.
Jon Jones Says Dominick Reyes Nearly Had His Number
In early 2020 before the start of the pandemic era, Jon Jones put the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at stake against Dominick Reyes. Going into the bout, Reyes was undefeated. “The Devastator” went after Jones early in the fight and had him on his backfoot. Before making the proper adjustments to win the fight via unanimous decision, Jones wondered if he had met his match.
Jones recalled the fight during his appearance on the Overdogs Podcast last year (h/t Bloody Elbow).
“I was fighting Dominick Reyes, and it was in round one; he hit me with a spinning back-kick to the face, and he punched me in the stomach, and I hit the floor ― technically a knockdown.
“He was giving me a true f***ing run for my money. He was the only person to do that to me outside of Alexander Gustafsson. I remember thinking to myself, ‘F**k, you may have met your match Jon, you’ve had a great career, just don’t let him knock you out, let the kid have it’. It’s a decision to give up on yourself. Then another voice, as clear as the first, said, ‘F**k that’.”
Jones is set to put his heavyweight title on the line against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden. It could be the last fight of Jones’ pro MMA career.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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dominick reyes Jon Jones UFC
