UFC Louisville video: Dominick Reyes demolishes Dustin Jacoby by knockout for first win since 2019

Dominick Reyes finally got back on track with his first win in five years after a vintage performance to dispatch Dustin Jacoby in the first round in the UFC Louisville co-main event.

Once heralded as the uncrowned champion at 205 pounds after he took Jon Jones to a razor-close decision back in 2020, Reyes fell on harder times with three straight knockout losses in a row. Following nearly two years off, Reyes returned to form on Saturday where he blasted Jacoby with a vicious left hook that put the former GLORY kickboxer on wobbly legs.

Reyes stayed on the attack after he unloaded a huge knee up the middle followed by machine-gun like fire punches that finally put Jacoby down on the canvas. The fight was stopped 2:00 in the first round.

“It feels so good,” Reyes said about the win. “It’s been a long time coming. I feel amazing. I’m the best light heavyweight in the world. I’ve always been. I touched him and I wasn’t sure. I saw him wobble a little bit. Dustin’s a tough dude. It was all there. I was seeing it. I had fun. More than anything it’s fun in here.”

While Reyes’ losses never came against subpar competition, three knockouts in a row isn’t good for anybody so there were a lot of questions about his future coming into Saturday’s card.

Reyes answered all of them with his performance after he looked calm, cool and composed while facing off with another elite striker in Jacoby.

From the start, Reyes showed patience and poise in the pocket and he made the necessary adjustments as Jacoby tried to chip away at his lead leg with kicks. With Jacoby in hot pursuit, Reyes just stepped into the counter left hook that caught his opponent off guard and that started the sequence that led to his knockout.

Reyes didn’t get too loose with his final combination but he saw Jacoby was almost out so he just let everything go in that last sequence including the massive knee strike and the punches that ultimately ended the fight.

The much needed win puts Reyes right back in the hunt at light heavyweight where he can now proclaim himself a threat once again with this latest knockout victory.