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Dominick Reyes Reveals Major Personal Struggles That Plagued Him Before Title Fight Against Jan Blachowicz

Published 04/30/2021, 10:33 AM EDT

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Dominick Reyes was the unofficial UFC Light Heavyweight champion according to many. This was because he was the last man that fought Jon Jones and pushed the legendary champion to a very close five-round fight. While many scored it for Reyes, the judges gave Jones the win in a controversial decision.

Reyes fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title after Jones left the division, but fell short and losing via TKO. But Reyes had some personal issues bothering him, which he revealed to MMAFighting.com.

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“I tried to change up my style and that wasn’t the best idea. Switched coaches and that wasn’t the best idea. It was just a lot. My mom and dad had COVID, at the time, I couldn’t see them for three months leading up to that fight. They’re huge, a gigantic part of my life and who I am and where I draw my power and confidence from. I didn’t show up. It’s on me, obviously. I paid the price. I draw most of my strength from my family and to not have them for three months leading up to the fight, not being able to see them or hug them.”

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Dominick Reyes: Will he rebound with a win on Saturday?

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Dominick Reyes will be facing surging contender Jiri Prochazka in his return to the cage. Reyes is a slight underdog heading into the fight, which is surprising considering his last two fights were for the divisional title.

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Reyes can start his journey to get a rematch against Jan or face Glover Teixeira, if Glover wins the title before that. He is one of the most athletic Light Heavyweights in the UFC. That is why he matched well with Jones, as he has great movement and power. He also has a pretty well-rounded skill-set. Prochazka is a knockout machine, and Reyes struggled to one of those in Blachowicz in the title fight

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But the focus that Reyes is coming with has to be an encouraging sign. We just have to wait and see if the demons that he has carried over the last year can be vanquished.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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