UFC 247: Joe Rogan Argues Dominick Reyes is “The Most Dangerous” Fighter Jon Jones Has Fought Since Daniel Cormier

As UFC 247 nears, the consensus is that when the event’s over, Jon Jones will still be holding the light-heavyweight belt. In fact, it seems like lately there’s been as much talk about Jones moving to heavyweight after this bout. The theory being that after UFC 247 and Jones’ fight with Dominick Reyes, he will have cleared out the 205 division.

But, recently Joe Rogan outlined why he thinks Reyes is going to be the most dangerous opponent Jones has faced since former champ-champ, Daniel Cormier.

Rogan believes Saturday’s fight is “dangerous” for Jones

Reyes has worked his way into a title fight by going 6-0 to date in the UFC. His title shot was granted after Reyes took out former middleweight champ Chris Weidman last October. But, despite what Reyes has accomplished and showcased so far in his MMA career, Jones is a huge favorite to win on Saturday. As it stands right now, he’s carrying odds ranging from -407 to -500.

Well, recently Rogan weighed-in on the match-up during his podcast, and he said the following (quote via MMA Fighting):

“I believe that Dominick Reyes is the most dangerous fighter Jon Jones has faced since Daniel Cormier,” Rogan said. “I think Dominick Reyes presents a very unique set of challenges. First of all the length. The undefeated record, he is 12-0. There is confidence that comes with undefeated records, and Dominick is extremely confident. He’s a believer in himself and that belief in himself has led him to stop guys like Chris Weidman, to knock out OSP with one second to go. He’s got belief in his power. He’s got legit one-punch knockout power. He has great footwork and movement. He just had the opportunity to see Jon struggle with Thiago Santos [and] he has a style, he can mimic that kind of success, the chopping at the legs.”

“I think this is a dangerous fight for Jon, but I also think Jon knows it is a dangerous fight for Jon and Jon is a champion. A real champion, the greatest champion the light heavyweight division has ever known. unquestionably, and I think he is going to rise to the occasion. I think we are going to see the best Jon Jones. I think Jon Jones needs a real threat to scare him and work him up, and I don’t know if Thiago Santos was that for him.”

Is Reyes the most “dangerous” fighter Jones has faced recently?

Rogan makes some interesting points, and due to Reyes’ power, height and athleticism, there’s no question Jones would be unwise to look past him. The fighters Jones has faced since his last bout with Cormier are Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Smith and the aforementioned Santos.

Some might argue that Reyes has yet to face the level of competition that Gustafsson has. But, does he have the stopping power of Reyes? Santos and Smith are both dangerous in their own right, and Santos tested Jones for 25 minutes, despite have two trashed knees. So, it will be fascinating to see if Reyes can do the same.