Jon Jones

UFC president Dana White said he remains hopeful of a rematch between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

White told TMZ Sports in an interview released Saturday he's unsure whether the timing will work out for a meeting in the imminent future, with Khabib set to face Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18.

"I don't know if Conor wants to wait for him," he said. "We'll see what happens. Conor might not wait."

White also discussed a possible rematch between Dominick Reyes and Jon Jones, who defended his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship with a win over Reyes in early February. The fight was closer than the unanimous decision would suggest, though.

"I think [Reyes deserves a rematch]," White told TMZ. "You'd be crazy not to think he deserves a rematch."

Nurmagomedov scored a submission victory over McGregor when they battled for the lightweight title at UFC 229 in October 2018.

The Notorious returned to the Octagon from a 15-month absence following that loss to score a first-round knockout of Donald Cerrone in January.

"OK, the lightweight title will be there," McGregor told reporters of his future plans after beating Cerrone. "You see the difference in [my] physique, the preparation and that. That will come around, that shot."

Nurmagomedov has continually shrugged off suggestions about a McGregor rematch, however, including when asked in early February whether a $100 million payday could seal the deal.

"Why do I need that kind of money?" Khabib said. "There are so many organizations. For example, there's not only [soccer] for the blind, there's sambo and other sports. Let [the UFC] give it to them if they don't know what to do with the money. But giving me $100 million for me to beat up that idiot again? I don't think that's rational."

Meanwhile, Reyes won the first 12 bouts of his professional career to earn the title shot against Jones, and he told ESPN's Ariel Helwani on the MMA Show he earned the longtime champion's respect in their bout.

"He said I shocked him," Reyes said. "He didn't really expect that from me. And he thanked me for making him a better martial artist. He said, 'Our rematch is gonna be epic.'"

Jones defended the result on social media after Reyes' contentions about the decision:

He also took a shot at the fighter he deemed a "new rival" in a later Twitter post:

Neither star's next bout has been scheduled, leaving the door open for an immediate rematch.

Dominick Reyes has said Jon Jones complimented his performance after their light heavyweight title fight at UFC 247, with the champion suggesting he will give the challenger a rematch.

Reyes told Ariel Helwani's MMA Show (h/t ESPN's Marc Raimondi) that Jones said their rematch "is gonna be epic," and UFC President Dana White told him he's "the future of the division" after pushing the champion to the limit.

"[Jones] said I shocked him," the 30-year-old said. "He didn't really expect that from me. And he thanked me for making him a better martial artist."

The Devastator was the aggressor in the opening two rounds Saturday, but the two-time champion gained control as the drama unfolded. Jones went on to claim a unanimous decision and become 15-0 in title fights—the all-time leader in UFC title defenses.

Reyes added he thinks a rematch could be negotiated soon if there's enough support for the fight.

"I believe so," said the 205-pound division's No. 4-ranked contender. "If the fans put enough pressure on Jones, if they put enough pressure on the UFC and they want to see it, then I'm sure I'll get that rematch. I know I deserve it. It should be a rematch for him trying to get his belt back."

Per Steven Marrocco of MMA Fighting, Reyes had been aggrieved with the scoring on the night, with Joe Solis judging the fight 49-46 for Jones. That prompted the Californian to say he felt "disrespected," and he believed he should have been awarded the victory. The other two judges gave the fight 48-47 to Jones.

"Yeah, the judges suck," Reyes told Helwani. "But fans know who won. I'm considering myself the people's champ right now. The fans speak to make fights happen."

A rematch will be anticipated by MMA fans after witnessing a fascinating battle in the Octagon on Saturday.

Jones displayed his legendary skills against the 12-1 Reyes, but a rematch could produce a totally different outcome.

Reyes also said fans around the world might not have known who he was before his bout with Jones, but he'll be ready to go after the light heavyweight strap once again.

Jon Jones has said he doesn't believe Dominick Reyes was "disrespected" during their light heavyweight title fight on Saturday at UFC 247, after the champion walked away with a unanimous-decision victory.

All three judges scored in favour of Jones, leading Reyes to express his disappointment at the result.

According to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Jones was bullish in response to his opponent's post-fight claim:

"I don’t think he was disrespected. I got takedowns. He got no takedowns. I got his back. At one point I put a hook in. The fifth round, I was surprised in the output difference we had. I have to watch the fight. It’s hard to speak with confidence when I haven’t watched the fight."

The Devastator quickly showed the champion it would be a difficult night after an aggressive start. Jones started to enforce more control from the third, and he dominated the championship rounds against the Californian.

Reyes' comments in defeat were aimed in reference to Joe Solis, who scored the fight 49-46 for Jones. The two other judges scored it 48-47. The eventual loser on the night appeared to be on top for the first two rounds before Jones swung the tide in his favour.

Per Steven Marrocco of MMA Fighting, Reyes explained his grievance and said he believed he should now have the title in his hands:

"One of the judges had it 49-46. Like, who are you? I might want to have a word with you. Other than that, I know I won that fight. I was in that fight. I don’t have to watch the replay. I was there. I made Jon Jones look like just a man. I brought the fight to him."

Jones added that he worked his way into the fight but always felt in control of the bout. The two-time champion highlighted the strength of his own repertoire in comparison to his challenger: 

"A part of me wanted to see if he could keep that up. A part of me wanted to see what he had to offer. I saw what he had to offer. I also saw that he couldn’t keep that up. You’ve got to embrace that. What I do for a living is not always pleasant. It’s just a big part of the game. It was a great feeling out process. I realized I got to take his best punches. I think my chin is very underrated. [...]

"I don’t think Dominick had any excuses for losing tonight. He lost. It was close but they say close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. He can try 1,000 times, and I believe I’ll edge him every single time."

Jones improved to 15-0 in title fights and became the all-time leader in UFC title defenses.

Reyes showed more than enough in the contest to prove he could one day wear the title belt. He floored Jones in the opening round and drew blood in the fourth, but the New Yorker showed why he holds a legendary status in MMA as he closed out the win.

Someone woke up this morning, looked at the sports ticker and saw the raw truth: Jon Jones defeated Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision. But there was another key takeaway Saturday at UFC 247, even if it isn't the tidiest thing to quantify. It turns out Jones might be human after all.

Yes, indeed. Jones (26-1 [1]) took down the previously undefeated Reyes (12-1) in the main event in Houston. But not before Reyes outstruck and outhustled the champ for significant stretches—and put him in more trouble than he's ever been in before, at least inside an Octagon. Fights that close can never be considered robberies, but no one would have blinked at the sight of the challenger leaving the office with a championship belt.

"Dominick Reyes did a tremendous job," Jones told broadcaster Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight. "[He] totally earned my respect. That was a great fight. ... He landed some tough shots."

With the win, Jones eclipsed welterweight GOAT Georges St-Pierre for most title wins in UFC history with 14 and tied another GOAT, flyweight Demetrious Johnson, with 12 title defenses. Warts and all, Jones is the best MMA fighter ever.

Most fight fans will point to Alexander Gustafsson as Jones' toughest test. It was a grueling matchup and an all-time classic, with Gustafsson opening a cut on Jones early before ultimately dropping a nip-and-tuck decision.

But Jones was never rocked. He never has been.

That is, until UFC 247. And the man who did it was Reyes, who devised a terrific game plan and had the skill and the will to pull it off.

Reyes stayed on his wheels from the jump, circling and attacking and minimizing exposure to Jones' lethal leg kicks. One Jones kick elicited a perfect counter left from Reyes that caught Jones off-balance and knocked him on his backside. That's not something you see much. Jones quickly regained his footing, but Reyes had stung the champ, and he stung him a few more times after to send Jones reeling back toward the fence.

The audience inhaled sharply. At a bare minimum, the sequence forced Jones out of autopilot and won Reyes the round.

That ceaseless movement resumed in the second, with Reyes charging forward at any hint of blood in the water. About a minute in, Jones, seeming almost bewildered by Reyes' activity, literally turned his back and ran to escape yet another onslaught. Reyes landed more significant strikes in two rounds than previous Jones opponent Thiago Santos did in five, according to the ESPN broadcast. Once again: advantage Reyes.

As the third began, Reyes was slowing down—it would have been impossible not to. Jones capitalized by turning up the pressure, but Reyes simply refused to give in, keeping up his movement and output as much as his body would allow. At the same time, Jones checked or slipped many of Reyes' shots, meaning it looked worse for the champ at a glance than it really was. This was the closest round of the fight.

That brings us to the fourth. Sometimes a punch makes a certain sound when it truly lands flush across the jaw. Something like a third baseman's glove stopping a line drive. In any case, a Reyes punch combination made that sound on Jones' mug about a minute into the round. Jones began to bleed from his nose, but more telling was his reaction.

Jones immediately went for the safety takedown—and was visibly disoriented as he did so. He managed to tie up Reyes along the fence, holding on with all his might until the world could stop spinning out of his control. Jones was hurt! He was bleeding his own blood!

It might have been a wakeup call for Jones. Once the cobwebs cleared, he began looking for proper takedowns. He started getting them, too. Each time Reyes was quick to get back to his feet, but the takedowns still had the desired effect on the judges—if they hadn't, we'd have a new champion. So, smart strategy by Jones. The counter-argument runs that takedowns in themselves can't score points, that it's the damage associated (or not associated) with the takedown that matters. But we all know that in the real world, especially in locales like the Lone Star State, judges take a much more, shall we say, interpretive approach. Jones can't be faulted for taking what the system gives him.

The takedowns plus Jones' pressure down the stretch appeared to finally drive Reyes' gas tank down to fumes, as he outlanded Reyes going away. Even by Reyes' post-fight estimation, Jones won the final two frames.

Strike statistics are not the be-all and end-all of anything, but it's interesting to note that, per the broadcast stats, Jones landed far and away the most strikes of any round that night in the fifth, with 25 of his 96 total strikes coming in the final frame.

Oh, by the way, Reyes landed 103 total strikes.

Those aforementioned Texas judges had a rough night, with an indefensible undercard decision marring the evening, but the 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 scorecard was not a robbery, even if one of the judges believed Jones had won four rounds. (That just isn't correct.) Still, it didn't affect the outcome. A close fight is a close fight. 

"I knew it was a really close fight, and I turned it on in the end," Jones told Rogan. "That fifth round won me the fight. ... I think the difference in the fight was that and those takedowns."

As one might anticipate, Reyes saw it differently.

"I thought I had one, two, three," he told Rogan. "He was on me four and five. He's a champion, he pushed me and he got those takedowns at the end. But I popped right back up, so I didn't think they'd be a factor. But I had him one, two, three. But it is what it is."

Reyes made a name for himself Saturday on a large stage. Gustafsson might still be Jones' closest fight, but this was the first time Jones really had his bell rung. 

This could all be just what the doctor ordered. There's been plenty of noise about the competitiveness of the light heavyweight division in a Jones context, as well as the potential for him to move to heavyweight (for the record, he was noncommittal after the fight). But this sets up an easy rematch, sooner or later.

Jones could continue his grim march down to the bitter end of the division, until he's eliminated any and all signs of opposition. In which case, how about the winner of next Saturday's bout between Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz? Why not? Of course, a move to heavyweight is always on the radar, but there's a good chance it would be a long-term switch. Most moves like that, at least when done fully of a fighter's own volition, tend to happen later in careers. At 32 years old, there's still time for Jones. If you're going to leave 205, you might as well leave it a moonscape.

Meanwhile, there's all sorts of fun to be had with the newly minted contender. Personally, I vote for Reyes and the winner in March's bout between Nikita Krylov and Johnny Walker. No way that wouldn't be fun.

Through that lens, it's easy to argue that both men benefitted from the outcome. Reyes announced himself as the real deal and Jones continued his ascent toward some singular place where only he can go.

For now, though, Reyes just showed everyone Jones still has some competition down here on Earth.

Scott Harris writes about MMA and other sports for Bleacher Report. 

Jon Jones made yet another defense of his light heavyweight championship belt with a unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in Houston, Texas. 

Reyes came out strong and gave the champion all he could handle but Jones' comeback over the final rounds swayed the judges to give the bout to the reigning champion. 

Reyes came out aggressively in the first round firing a left hand at the opening bell and attacking with kicks and looping punches. The pressure would pay off early as he briefly put Jones on the floor with an early left hand that landed to the midsection.

The Devastator appeared to win the first frame, but he slowed down at the conclusion of the round.

That didn't stop him from coming out strong again in the second stanza. Reyes had the champ on the run with his aggression once again. 

Through two rounds Reyes already proved to be one of the toughest challenges for Bones:

In the third frame, Reyes answered a very important question: What will he do when Jones goes for a takedown? The champ shot for his first takedown of the fight against the cage, but Reyes denied it and kept the fight on the feet. 

That trend would continue into the fourth round. Jones fought hard for a takedown in the fourth, but couldn't quite keep the challenger down. Still, Reyes slowed down as Jones showed his experience in championship rounds. 

The fifth and final round appeared to be one for the defending champion. Jones outpaced his tired opponent, but whether it was enough to get the nod was definitely up for debate. 

Ultimately, the judges gave the win to Jones in a controversial decision. 

Jones has successfully defended the belt for the third consecutive time since reclaiming his title in December 2018.

The 32-year-old has yet to truly lose a fight in the Octagon. The only blemish on his record came via disqualification against Matt Hamill and he's effectively cleaned out the light heavyweight division multiple times throughout his career. 

Reyes was the rare highly ranked fighter in the division that Jones hadn't seen. Bones holds wins over four of the current top five in the division and the bottom half of the top 10 doesn't hold any real intriguing challenges at this point.

A rematch with Reyes is interesting, but that might be it within the division.  

The next frontier for Jones may be the heavyweight division and it's a move that is definitely on his radar. 

"I think a move towards heavyweight will be inevitable," Jones' striking coach Brandon Gibson told MMA Fighting's Eurobash podcast (h/t Peter Carroll of MMA Fighting), "I think that it's one of our bigger goals. Whether it's this year or next, or 2022, I don't know. But I definitely think we'll see Jon fight at light heavyweight again, for sure, that's a belt he's held for a decade."

He's been stripped of the belt twice in his career and was forced to drop an interim title once, but has never lost it in the cage. Whether Reyes could do it in a rematch is now the most interesting question in the division. 

A light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes highlights the UFC 247 fight card set to go down Saturday in Houston, Texas. 

Bones looks to defend his belt for the third time in his current title reign and the 11th time in his career. The dominant champion has shown cracks in recent fights, which makes Reyes an interesting challenge. 

Jones isn't the only dominant champion on the card; Valentina Shevchenko will also look to continue her reign of the women's flyweight division. She's successfully defended the strap against Jessica Eye and Liz Carmouche and will now try to add Katlyn Chookagian to that list. 

The rest of the main card is filled out with two heavyweight bouts, including an appearance from Derrick Lewis, and an intriguing featherweight fight with Mirsad Bektic and Dan Ige. 

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET)

• Jon Jones (c) (-550) vs. Dominick Reyes (+375) for the light heavyweight title
• Valentina Shevchenko (c) (-1200) vs. Katlyn Chookagian (+750) for the women's flyweight title
• Juan Adams (-250) vs. Justin Tafa (+200)
• Mirsad Bektic (-135) vs. Dan Ige (+105)
• Derrick Lewis (-220) vs. Ilir Latifi (+180)

Preliminaries (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

• James Krause (-145) vs. Trevin Giles (+115)
• Alex Morono (-350) vs. Kalinn Williams (+275)
• Lauren Murphy (+260) vs. Andrea Lee (-330)
• Miles Johns (-135) vs. Mario Bautista (+105)

Early Prelims (ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)

• Domingo Pilarte (-140) vs. Journey Newson (+110)
• Andre Ewell (-130) vs. Jonathan Martinez (+100)
• Austin Lingo (-210) vs. Youssef Zalal (+175)

Odds via Caesars Palace.

Biggest Questions

Is Jon Jones Losing "It" or Just Bored?

Jon Jones has always been vexing. He's the most talented fighter in the history of the sport, and his unique frame and ability to unleash violence with it makes him almost unbeatable. 

But it definitely didn't look that way against Thiago Santos last time out. Marreta gave Jones the closest call of his career, losing via split decision in a hard-fought five-rounder. 

Whether that's a sign that Jones is starting to lose his touch or if he's merely bored with the light heavyweight division is what we'll find out Saturday night. 

Bones' talent is unquestioned, but he's a complex man. The myriad of troubles outside the cage has often overshadowed his accomplishments in it. His personality is hard to peg down, and it wouldn't be shocking to find out that he's simply not feeling the challengers he is getting at light heavyweight. 

If that's the case, this fight against Reyes could be dangerous. The challenger has the size and power that have traditionally given Jones the most problems.

If the Marreta fight was a wake-up call for the champ, then this fight probably isn't close. Jones' leg kicks and use of his length and wrestling should put him in control wherever the fight goes. If he continues to fight passively, Reyes could score the upset. 

Prediction: Jones via third-round TKO

Can Valentina Shevchenko Put on an Exciting Performance against Katlyn Chookagian?

Valentina Shevchenko is a huge favorite against Katlyn Chookagian in the co-main event. It's going to be hard to find a woman who can beat her at flyweight. 

Instead, the real question surrounding this fight is whether Bullet can make it exciting. The champion figures to win the fight, but on paper, it doesn't look like a Fight of the Night candidate. 

Chookagian is happy to keep things on the outside. Like, really outside. She spends much of her time out of the opponent's range, dinking and dunking her way to a lead on the scorecards. 

Shevchenko has a penchant for being a counter-puncher, so we could be in for an elongated staring contest with the champion waiting for something to counter that never comes. 

Instead, the hope is that we see a more aggressive Shevchenko who can deliver a highlight-reel finish like she did against Jessica Eye. 

If Shevchenko can score a knockdown with her striking, it could be over in short order. She has a big advantage on the ground if that's where the fight winds up. 

Prediction: Shevchenko via second-round submission. 

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has said he'd put his money on Khabib Nurmagomedov if the Eagle were to have a rematch opposite former dual-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor.

Nurmagomedov, 31, beat The Notorious via fourth-round submission when the pair first met at UFC 229 in October 2018, with talk of a second clash intensifying after McGregor's recent return to the Octagon.

Jones spoke to TMZ Sports ahead of his UFC light heavyweight title defence against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 on Saturday, suggesting he'd back Khabib to get the better of McGregor a second time:

Former lightweight and featherweight champion McGregor made a statement upon his return from a 15-month fighting absence at UFC 246 in January, when he finished Donald Cerrone within 40 seconds.

Jones was asked whether the Dubliner could clinch revenge in a rematch but backed his nemesis, Nurmagomedov:

"I typically don't go against wrestlers if you were asking me as a betting man. Wrestlers have the power to dictate where the fight goes, whether it's gonna be a standing match or whether he's gonna take him to the ground and make it a jiu-jitsu match.

"But if I would put my money on it, I'm definitely going with Khabib. For sure. I think the cards are always kind of in Khabib's hands. But Conor definitely has a chance."

Nurmagomedov has since improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 28-0 after he submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September.

The Dagestan native questioned in early February why he needed "$100 million (£77.6 million) to beat up that idiot [McGregor] again," per TMZ Sports.

The report cited speculation circulated by Khabib's agent, Ali Abdelaziz, that moguls in Saudi Arabia were willing to stump up a nine-figure sum to host the rematch.

Two-time UFC champion Jones boasts a similar record to Nurmagomedov, though his 2009 disqualification loss to Matt Hamill and no-contest in the second meeting with Daniel Cormier are blemishes on his record.

When told about Nurmagomedov rebuffing the notion of a $100 million payday for fighting McGregor, Bones replied: "Give me the money! I'll whoop his [McGregor's] a-s for the homeboys."

Jones is seeking his third consecutive title defence in his second reign as light heavyweight champion and hopes to hand 12-0 Reyes the first loss of his MMA career at the Toyota Center in Houston.