The Devastator Defeated: Where Does Reyes Go from Here?
The fight game is a world-renowned for its highest highs and lowest lows. Last night was no exception to that ever-foreboding rule. Carlos Ulberg added a ninth win to his already monstrous win streak and did so via knockout before the final bell of the first round rang out. A one-two combination that would’ve sat down even heroes from myth ended the comeback run of former title challenger Dominic “The Devastator” Reyes. With his three-fight win streak snapped, what remains for Reyes to accomplish at light heavyweight?
As hard as it may be to admit, the best days of Reyes’s run in the UFC are behind him. If you’ve been watching the sport for a moment, you may have picked up on the idea of strong chins and what they provide for a fighter. The wherewithal of a chin can be compared to the lid of a pickle jar. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the lid doesn’t budge, but you hand it to someone else who’s a little stronger, has a tighter grip, and the lid pops off. The lid never goes back to being as tight as it was the first time. That, in a sense, is the exact way the strength of a fighter's chin works. They may go years without anyone coming close to bringing them down, but then one person opens the lid, and they're never the same again. We've seen this with Chuck Liddell, Frankie Edgar, and even the great Anderson Silva. This is the unfortunate position Reyes has found himself in. Past his prime, chin cracked, and not getting any younger. So, what's keeping him from retirement?
As many fighters have and can attest to, leaving the fight game is hard. For many of them, fighting was what kept their lives together, supported them, and brought them the admiration of others. None of those things is easy to give up. It's easy to encourage someone to retire when you haven't lived the life they have. Unfortunately, light heavyweight is a powerful division. Very few people in the top 15 wouldn't be able to knock out the average 205er. With his chin gone, not much remains for Reyes to fight against without meeting extreme adversity. Do you think he has another run in him? Or has The Devastator flown the highest he possibly could?
