Dominick Reis hopes to return to his original form at UFC on ESPN 57.
Reyes (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) faces Dustin Jacoby (19-8-1 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event (ESPN/ESPN+) at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
Reyes was forced to withdraw from his UFC on ESPN 54 showdown against Carlos Ulberg in March after discovering he had deep vein thrombosis – blood clots in his leg. The former title challenger, who once pushed Jon Jones to the limit, will attempt to snap a four-fight losing skid against Jacoby.
“The UFC light heavyweight division is very performance-based,” Reyes said during Wednesday’s media day. “I have the pedigree to return to the top. Pretty much anyone in the division has an opportunity to pick up some (wins), but it’s one of the toughest divisions in terms of one punch and it’s over.
“…I was thinking about this the other day, actually. I was like, ‘Man, I got six straight starts in the UFC light heavyweight division. That’s pretty wild. I’m back on topic. I’m back to that fighting style. That’s what Dustin was asking and that’s what he’s going to get.”
Jacoby will also look to bounce back after losing three of his last four. Reyes has noticed one main trend in Jacoby’s game that he knows to be wary of.
“It is extremely durable. He’s not a guy you can eliminate easily,” Reyes said. “He’s athletic. He moves well. He has good feet. His pressure is constant. He likes to come out strong in the second half of the fight. That’s my main conclusion: he arrives strong at the end. So if we get that far, I need to be ready to stay on my P and Q because that’s when he capitalizes on opponents’ mistakes.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC on ESPN 57.
