Dominick Reyes

Overview

Seven first-round finishes in eleven UFC wins, and a six-fight winning streak that began with a 29-second debut. Dominick Reyes has been quick on the way up and quick on the way down: four of his five UFC losses ended by KO/TKO.

"The Devastator" fights at light heavyweight out of Cobra Kai Victorville and is 11-5 in the UFC. He is not a champion, but he carries a two-fight win streak into his next fight. His career has run in distinct stretches: six straight wins early, then three straight losses, then a rebuild.

UFC Career

Reyes debuted in June 2017 with a 29-second KO/TKO of Joachim Christensen. A first-round submission of Jeremy Kimball followed that December, then a first-round stoppage of Jared Cannonier in May 2018. Ovince Saint Preux took him the distance (unanimous decision), as did Volkan Oezdemir (split decision). Then came the main event against Chris Weidman in October 2019: KO/TKO, round 1, 1:43.

That was win number six in a row.

The next fight was a five-round main event with Jon Jones at UFC 247, one of the elite opponents of his career. Reyes lost a unanimous decision, the only decision loss on his record. What followed was a run of stoppage losses: Jan Blachowicz (KO/TKO, round 2), Jiri Prochazka (KO/TKO, round 2, a main event) and Ryan Spann (KO/TKO, round 1, 1:20).

He returned in June 2024 with a first-round KO/TKO of Dustin Jacoby, then stopped Anthony Smith at 4:46 of round 2 and Nikita Krylov in the first. A main event loss to Carlos Ulberg, another elite opponent, ended in round 1. He followed it with a split decision over Johnny Walker and a first-round KO/TKO of Azamat Murzakanov.

Two straight wins after the Ulberg loss.

Fighting Style

Reyes is a busy, accurate striker who lands at a high clip and doesn't absorb much in return. His striking defense is about what you'd expect from the UFC average, so his edge comes from output and precision rather than from avoiding contact.

He is not a grappler. He rarely shoots for takedowns and almost never hunts for submissions, but he is very hard to take down, so he tends to keep fights standing.

That shows in how he wins. Seven of his eight finishes are KO/TKOs, and seven of the eight came in round 1, with the other KO/TKO coming in round 2. His one submission win, a first-round finish over Kimball, is the exception. Three of his 11 wins went to the scorecards.

Notable Wins

• Chris Weidman — KO/TKO, round 1 (1:43), UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs. Weidman (2019)
• Jared Cannonier — KO/TKO, round 1 (2:55), UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman (2018)
• Anthony Smith — KO/TKO, round 2 (4:46), UFC 310 (2024)
• Nikita Krylov — KO/TKO, round 1 (2:24), UFC 314 (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Light Heavyweight
• UFC record: 11-5 (8 finishes, 7 in round 1)
• Professional record (all promotions): 17-5-0
• UFC debut: 2017
• Longest UFC win streak: 6
• Height: 6'4" | Reach: 77"
• Team: Cobra Kai Victorville
• Born: Apple Valley, CA, United States