MMA rankings report: Why Dominick Reyes climbs despite UFC 247 loss to Jon Jones
It's not often that a fighter moves up in the rankings after a loss, but that's the case with Dominick Reyes coming out of UFC 247.
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The result of the UFC 247 main event Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes has sparked plenty of debate. So, too, might our latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
Jones escaped last Saturday with a unanimous decision over Reyes to retain his light heavyweight title in Houston. The outcome has been debated ad nauseam since the moment the scores were read.
On the heels of that controversy, both Jones and Reyes have made moves in our latest rankings. Despite the loss, Reyes has leapfrogged Bellator dual champion Ryan Bader for the No. 2 spot at 205 pounds. As for Jones, despite the questionable nature of his win, he moves ahead of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for the No. 1 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Do you agree with those decisions? Our rankings chair “Gorgeous” George of MMA Junkie Radio discusses why with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan in the latest edition of the MMA rankings report.
You can watch the video above to also find out how UFC 247 impacted the rest of the rankings, including where Valentina Shevchenko, Derrick Lewis and Dan Ige landed after their victories.