There are moments in sport when history seems to tilt. For Dominick Reyes, that moment arrived in Houston on a February night in 2020. Under the bright lights of UFC 247, he went stride for stride with Jon Jones, the most decorated light heavyweight of all time. Reyes pressed forward, crisp southpaw combinations snapping through the champion’s guard, a thudding left hand keeping the pound-for-pound king honest. When the final horn sounded, Reyes raised his arms, convinced he had seized greatness. He had done it, he had beaten the unbeatable. He had beaten Jon Jones.
The judges disagreed.
Jones’ hand was raised, the belt remained on his waist, and Reyes was left with the cruelest of consolations: the respect of the MMA world but none of the spoils. For many, he had done enough to dethrone the champion. For Reyes himself, the defeat proved more damaging than he could ever have imagined.
The Spiral
That night in Texas should have been the start of something. Instead, it marked the beginning of a downward spiral. In his pursuit of perfection, Reyes began tinkering. New coaches, new styles, new approaches. What followed was a string of brutal stoppage defeats—first Jan Błachowicz, then Jiří Procházka, then Ryan Spann. Each one chipped away at the image of the man who had pushed Jones to the brink.
Critics wondered aloud if Reyes had been a fleeting contender, a man defined by one glorious night rather than a career of substance. His aura was gone. His confidence seemed fractured. For a fighter who had once been destined for gold, the fall was savage.
The Return to Roots
It took time—time away, time to heal, time to reflect—for Reyes to rediscover himself. He stopped chasing reinvention and instead embraced what had made him dangerous in the first place: his range, his timing, his natural power.
The results have been emphatic. Since returning to the Octagon, Reyes has rattled off three straight knockouts. Each was more than a win; it was a statement, a reminder that his left hand can still change the course of a fight in an instant. His movements have regained their fluidity, his confidence its edge. The Devastator looked devastating once more.
Carlos Ulberg: The Test
Yet fate rarely allows a comeback without a true examination. Enter Carlos Ulberg. The New Zealander, a protégé of City Kickboxing, has carved out a reputation as one of the most clinical strikers in the division. Tall, rangy, and unflustered under fire, Ulberg carries the composure of a man destined for big nights.
Where Reyes thrives on explosiveness, Ulberg is patient, surgical. He picks his shots, wears opponents down, and finishes with ruthless precision. If Reyes is fire, Ulberg is ice.
Styles Make Fights
The intrigue lies in the clash of approaches. Reyes, at his best, is a front-foot predator. He controls distance with a snapping jab and punishes overcommitted opponents with that thunderous left. He must start fast, assert his range, and make Ulberg feel his power before the New Zealander can settle.
Ulberg, conversely, will look to chip away. Expect him to attack the legs, slow Reyes’s movement, and drag the contest into deeper waters. For all Reyes’ talent, questions about his durability remain. If Ulberg can survive the early exchanges, the later rounds may tilt decisively in his favour.
Prediction
This bout feels like a fork in the road. For Reyes, victory would confirm his resurgence and thrust him back into title contention. For Ulberg, a win over a former title challenger would mark his arrival among the elite light heavyweights and will most likely grant him a title shot against the winner between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev on October 5th.
Reyes possesses the firepower to end matters early. A clean left hand in the opening two rounds could stop Ulberg in his tracks and send a message to the division that the man who once rattled Jon Jones is back for good. But should Ulberg weather the storm, his measured pressure and disciplined kickboxing could prove decisive, leading to a late stoppage or a wide decision on the scorecards.
If one had to choose, the heart leans towards Reyes—his narrative of redemption, his rekindled form, the raw desire to reclaim what was almost his. Expect fireworks early, and do not be surprised if the comeback gathers another spectacular chapter with a knockout before the third round.
More Than a Fight
For Dominick Reyes, this is about more than rankings or belts. It is about identity, about silencing the doubts that grew louder with every setback. On Saturday night, he walks into the Octagon not just to face Carlos Ulberg, but to confront his own history—the ghosts of Jones, the sting of failure, the question of whether his rise was real.
A win would not simply lift him up the ladder; it would complete one of the most compelling redemption arcs in modern UFC history. A loss would plunge him back into uncertainty.
Either way, MMA fans across the globe will be watching.
Featured image: (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
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