Just when it looked like Dominick Reyes would be making his way towards another title shot, he faced a massive speed bump at UFC Perth. New Zealand star Carlos Ulberg proved too much for him and knocked him out, surprisingly, in the very first round of their main event bout. It’s back to the drawing board for ‘The Devastator’, but what will be his next step?

Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to talk about in this article. Dominick Reyes is still a top contender in the light heavyweight division, so there are plenty of ways of making his way back into title contention. We are looking at two choices here, with the first one being Reyes fighting someone who is in the same boat as the 35-year-old.

Dominick Reyes could choose to fight rebounding contenders

In sport, when one side wins, the other loses. Several fighters’ve suffered the same fate as Dominick Reyes in their last fights and are trying to bounce back from their predicament. ‘The Devastator’ could see Dana White making him fight someone in this category to earn renewed respect following a dominant TKO loss. So, in this bracket, we have fighters like Nikita Krylov, a veteran who’s on a 2-fight losing skid and has struggled with consistency for almost a decade.

But if that fight’s not enticing enough for Dominick Reyes, he could choose to fight Volkan Oezdemir, who’s a former title challenger just like himself. This will be a high-profile fight, ensuring Reyes’ mainstream visibility. Competing against fighters attempting to restore their reputations and beating them could soon earn him a title shot. Also, Krylov and Oezdemir are great matchups for Reyes from a stylistic standpoint.

On the other hand, there’s one more path that Dominick Reyes can decide to go down, and that’s by challenging himself and taking on the young guns. Let’s take a look at who fits the mold in that category.

Reyes also has an option to fight emerging prospects

Azamat Murzakanov, Vitor Petrino, and Oumar Sy are three prospects who’ve made a lot of noise in the UFC recently. While the first one is yet to taste defeat in his professional career, Petrino and Sy have shown tremendous potential. Fighting such prospects could be something that Dominick Reyes considers, even though such fights often bring unpredictable styles. A win over a surging prospect will not only disrupt the young gun’s trajectory but will also do away with claims about Dominick Reyes being washed.

Also, ‘The Devastator’ could present a strong argument for his relevance within the light heavyweight division if he manages to register a victory. However, in this case, a loss for Reyes could stir the pot for discussions about his ability to hang inside the Octagon against the next generation of UFC fighters. A loss against a prospect could also prove detrimental to Dominick Reyes’ title aspirations, since it is likely to push him further away from contention.

While Carlos Ulberg is getting backed to fight for the title, Dominick Reyes is standing at a crossroads where every move can affect his UFC career. Nevertheless, the former title contender has bounced back from setbacks and still has time left to compete at the highest level, even though he’s 35 years old. So, it will be interesting to see how things pan out for ‘The Devastator’ in the coming months. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.