UFC 247 Jones vs. Reyes Pick
Ready for Jones vs. Reyes Free UFC 247 Free Picks and betting odds & predictions? Here is a full breakdown of the leadup, what to expect during the fight, and some logical outcomes.
Event: UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes Free Picks
Date: February 8th, 2020
Time: Main Card: 10 P.M. EST.
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Broadcast: PPV on ESPN+
Main Event: Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes
Jones and Reyes will headline UFC 247, the second UFC pay per view event of 2020, on February 8th for the light heavyweight championship.
Jones, long time champion and renowned great, is looking to hold on to his belt and make good on his third consecutive title defense. He returned to the octagon in December of 2018 to win the vacant light heavyweight belt against Alexander Gustaffson.
He then defended his belt twice in 2019. The first against Anthony Smith in March at UFC 235 in dominant fashion, despite a few in-cage slip ups. His second defense came against Thiago Santos in July, where he won by a very narrow split decision.
In fact, some had Santos actually winning the fight. He will now look to retain his belt against Dominick Reyes.
Reyes burst onto the UFC scene in 2017 and has went 6-0 since with two performance bonuses and four stoppages. He, like Jones, had two 2019 fights where he won both.
The first against Volkan Oezdemir, where he won by split decision, although the widely accepted public opinion was that Reyes lost the fight. His most recent fight was against former champion Chris Weidman, where he silenced doubters with a first round knockout victory.
Some people disagree that this was the fight to make after Corey Anderson won decisively at UFC 244, but instead he received a main event slot against Jan Blachowicz later this month.
Many argue that Reyes shouldn’t be receiving a title shot since he hasn’t fought someone ranked in the top 5 of the light heavyweight division but due to the lack of options, he will be Jones’ next challenge.
As for the fight, this one isn’t as easy as many are plaguing it to be. Jones is the favorite and a hefty one at that, as he undoubtedly should be. Reyes may present Jones with some new challenges, however.
I realize the cliché of “anyone can win on any given night” is used a ton and falls on deaf ears more times than not, but it is true, especially in the UFC.
Jones could outwrestle and outgrapple Reyes with somewhat ease, but he could’ve done the same thing with Santos but elected to keep it standing for the full span of the fight. Even if this fight stays on the feet for the majority or entirety of the fight, it still favors Jones.
I am expecting this to be a similar fight to Jones vs. Anthony Smith, where Jones has control on the feet or the ground and wants to bring this fight to the later rounds because that is unfamiliar territory for Reyes.
Rizz’s MMA Betting Trends/Statistics
- Jones is 19-0 as a favorite throughout his UFC career
- This is Reyes’ first fight as a betting underdog in his UFC career
- The last two times Jones was over a -400 favorite, both fights went to decision
- Only three of Reyes’ professional fights have went to decision. All the others were decided by 1st round stoppage
MMA Betting UFC 247 Pick: Jon Jones
I think Reyes opens up with a heavy storm and high volume for Jones and tries to earn Jones’ respect. If he does that and Jones becomes hesitant for to shoot for a takedown, I think this fight will stay on the feet and go into the championship rounds.
If Jones can take down Reyes at will, then he should be able to finish him with a submission or ground and pound. I like Jones by stoppage +100. If you like Jones by points, +160 has value.
Good luck and gamble responsibly and follow my Twitter @RizzMMA for live tweets during UFC 247.