Skip to content

Lynch's Mailbag: Should Jones rematch Reyes?

Josh Hedges / UFC / Getty

Welcome to Lynch's Mailbag, a weekly feature by senior MMA news editor James Lynch.

Send James a DM @LynchOnSports or an email at james.lynch@thescore.com to submit questions for next week's article. The following questions have been edited for clarity and grammar.

Should there be a rematch between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes with people split on that judge's decision? Or should Reyes fight at least one more time? - @CharlieVann88

It really depends on what happens this Saturday in the UFC Rio Rancho main event between Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz. If either fighter wins in impressive fashion, they should get the next crack at Jon Jones.

However, if the bout ends up being uneventful, similar to Blachowicz's win over Ronaldo Jacare Souza last year, then I believe Dominick Reyes has a strong case for an immediate rematch. Many people, including myself, felt Reyes did enough to earn a decision victory over the current 205-pound champion last Saturday. The UFC should listen to the public and give them what they want.

If Corey Anderson manages to put in a fantastic performance this weekend, would that put him ahead of Reyes for a title shot? - Ajay Bajwa

I basically answered this above, but I'll add that the UFC is generally against immediate rematches when it comes to title fights. For that reason, I think if Anderson or Blachowicz pulls off a highlight-reel victory, you'll see them leapfrog Reyes for the next title shot.

Is it fair for judges who make widely accepted bad decisions to face repercussions? - @Ethanr701

It's absolutely fair. We've seen it with certain athletic commissions where if a judge gives out a bad scorecard, they can be removed from future assignments during an event.

At the very least, if a judge makes a controversial decision, like on Saturday with Jones-Reyes, they should be made available to the media to answer questions on why they scored a fight the way they did. Otherwise, there is no transparency in how judges are scoring particular fights and mistakes can be overlooked.

What are your thoughts on Jon Anik, Dominick Cruz, and Joe Rogan saying post-fight at UFC 247 that journalists should come together and develop a scoring system? - @slavvvy

This comment was based on the fact that journalists produce the UFC rankings already, which, in many ways, determine how future fights are booked. It's a step in the right direction, but I think it should be mandatory for any journalist selected to have an educated background in martial arts.

For example, I wouldn't volunteer because I have very little experience training in martial arts. However, Bellator analyst Robin Black would make sense since he's actually competed in the cage before. Having a group of educated people come together to improve the scoring system is a great idea. We're currently using the same model as boxing, which I believe is outdated.

Who deserved more credit at UFC 247? Jones' takedowns or Reyes getting up? - Peter Johannes

If you secure a takedown, only to see the opposing fighter get back up, then it should cancel each other out. I also believe if you secure a takedown but aren't able to inflict any damage on your opponent, you shouldn't earn any extra points if you're just stalling.

With Reyes moving forward and applying pressure countless times in the fight, I think that should be worth more than Jones' takedowns.

Whose career had the biggest drop off post-USADA? - Andrew Wood

It's easy to point out fighters whose respective career deteriorated post-USADA. Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, and Vitor Belfort all come to mind.

To be clear, I'm not accusing any of those fighters of taking PED's prior to the USADA testing program, but they've clearly struggled since then. Take that for what it's worth.

Which new weight class for men and women do you think we’ll see next, and how soon? - Colin Crandall

I honestly don't think we'll see new weight classes for either gender anytime soon. I've heard rumblings that the UFC has been close to adding a women's atomweight division (105 pounds) but that's about it. So I'll use that as my answer.

The UFC's had plenty of opportunities to implement a men's 165-pound division, which makes me believe it's hesitant to add any new weight classes for men. But I think 225 pounds could work for the UFC since there's such a big gap between light heavyweight (205 pounds) and the heavyweight limit (265 pounds). Saying that though, it's tough enough finding new talent for the heavier weight classes.

Open scoring, for or against? - Jason Lederfine

I'm in favor of open scoring because I think if a fighter is aware they're down in the scorecards during a fight, they have the opportunity to change their gameplan. It's a step in the right direction, yet it still won't solve the problem of incompetent judging. That's why the earlier question about judges being responsible for how they score fights is relevant.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox