A light heavyweight fight between top contenders Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz has been booked for September 26, but the stakes of the bout are not yet clear.
While a Reyes vs. Blachowicz fight would be rife with title implications under any circumstances, it sounds like there could actually be a title on the line when the fight.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN, who broke the news of the matchup, explained the situation on Twitter.
According Okamoto, the UFC is currently trying to determine what the future holds for light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones, who is riding a controversial decision win over Reyes, has recently been locked in a public contract dispute with the promotion, but has also also been teasing the idea of a move up to the heavyweight division.
Breaking: A 205-pound fight between Dominick Reyes (@DomReyes) and Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) is in the works for Sept. 26. The fight is nearly agreed to, but the stakes are being worked out. UFC is working with current champ Jon Jones right now to figure out his next move. pic.twitter.com/lHy7GUfX2Q
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 17, 2020
“A 205-pound fight between Dominick Reyes (@DomReyes ) and Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz ) is in the works for Sept. 26,” Okamoto reported. “The fight is nearly agreed to, but the stakes are being worked out. UFC is working with current champ Jon Jones right now to figure out his next move.”
Okamoto continued, clarifying that if Reyes and Blachowicz do fight for a championship—whether it’s the undisputed or interim title—that does not necessarily mean Jones will get the next crack at UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Francis Ngannou, he says, is likely still the top contender at heavyweight.
If Reyes vs. Blachowicz ends up being for a title, I wouldn’t IMMEDIATELY assume it’s Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic next. Maybe. That’s a big fight. But hasn’t been discussed yet, far as I know. They’re figuring 205 out right now. Francis Ngannou still very relevant at HWT.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 17, 2020
“If Reyes vs. Blachowicz ends up being for a title, I wouldn’t IMMEDIATELY assume it’s Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic next,” Okamoto wrote. “Maybe. That’s a big fight. But hasn’t been discussed yet, far as I know. They’re figuring 205 out right now. Francis Ngannou still very relevant at HWT.”
Do you think there should be a title on the line when Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes fight on September 26?