Every single one of Dominick Reyes’ professional finishes has come in the opening five minutes.
In his third UFC outing, the undefeated Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was matched up with fellow knockout artist Jared Cannonier at UFC Fight Night 129 in Santiago, Chile.
Both fighters were throwing heat right off the bat, with the smaller man Cannonier pressing forward. Reyes was doing a good job of evading Cannonier’s big overhand rights, countering effectively, with in-and-out movement. He also employed some leg kicks to try and slow down Cannonier’s movement.
Almost three minutes into Round 1, Reyes clipped Cannonier with a counter left uppercut, which stumbled him back. Noticing that Cannonier was hurt, Reyes smelled blood and started hunting for the finish. After lunging forward with a few strikes, Reyes threw a body kick, followed by another left uppercut which momentarily dropped Cannonier, and referee Marc Goddard decided to stop the fight.
Cannonier protested what he considered to be an early stoppage, but ultimately, it was another big finish for Reyes. He would go on to win three more fights, including another first-round finish over former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, which set him up for a title shot.
Reyes will look to become the first man to truly beat UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, when he challenges for the title on Feb. 8 in the main event of UFC 247 in Houston.
In the meantime, check out Reyes’ first-round finish in the video above.
