Dominick Vincent Reyes is a Mexican American professional mixed martial artist born on December 26, 1989, in Hesperia, California, making him 36 years old as of early 2026.
Known in the fighting world as “The Devastator,” he competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall with a 77-inch reach and fights from a southpaw stance.
Reyes grew up in a challenging environment in Hesperia, coming from a poor family where his parents, Jose and Monique Reyes, pushed him toward sports to steer clear of local gang influences.
From a young age, he excelled in athletics, participating in wrestling and American football with dreams of reaching the NFL.
After graduating from Hesperia High School, he relocated to New York to attend Stony Brook University, where he played college football as a starting safety for the Seawolves from 2009 to 2012, earning a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems.
His gridiron success included becoming the team’s captain, receiving First Team All-Big South honors, and setting the program’s all-time record for solo tackles at 158, along with 259 total tackles.
Despite drawing NFL interest, he went undrafted in 2013 due to concerns over his speed, leading him to briefly explore the Canadian Football League before returning home disillusioned.
Back in California, Reyes worked in construction and his father’s cabinetry business while training at his brother’s gym, Combat Cage Academy, which sparked his transition into mixed martial arts.
Siblings
Dominick has an older brother named Alex Reyes, who shares a deep familial and professional bond with him in the world of mixed martial arts.
Alex, also a professional fighter, competes in the Lightweight division of the UFC and has been a significant influence on Dominick’s career, serving as a mentor and training partner.
The brothers’ connection extends beyond the octagon, with Alex’s own journey in MMA, including overcoming a severe spinal infection that sidelined him.
Career
Reyes began his mixed martial arts journey as an amateur, compiling an undefeated 5-0 record and securing the U of MMA championship twice before turning professional in 2014.
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His early pro career was marked by a flawless 6-0 streak, highlighted by a viral head kick knockout of Jordan Powell that caught the attention of UFC scouts.
Reyes made his UFC debut on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112, defeating Joachim Christensen via first-round TKO.
He continued his ascent with victories over Jeremy Kimball by submission, Jared Cannonier by TKO, Ovince Saint Preux by unanimous decision, Volkan Oezdemir by split decision, and Chris Weidman by first-round KO, maintaining an unbeaten run that positioned him as a top contender.
In February 2020, at UFC 247, Reyes challenged Jon Jones for the Light Heavyweight Championship in a highly controversial unanimous decision loss, where many media outlets scored the fight in his favor.
He followed this with another title shot against Jan Błachowicz for the vacant belt at UFC 253 in September 2020, succumbing to a second-round TKO.
Reyes faced Jiří Procházka in May 2021, suffering a second-round KO via spinning back elbow that required surgery for facial fractures.
A first-round KO loss to Ryan Spann at UFC 281 in 2022 marked a challenging period, but Reyes rebounded with a first-round TKO over Dustin Jacoby in June 2024, his first win in over four years.
He continued his resurgence with a second-round TKO against Anthony Smith at UFC 310 and a first-round KO over Nikita Krylov at UFC 314, before a first-round KO setback against Carlos Ulberg at UFC Fight Night 260.
Accolades
Reyes has received Performance of the Night bonuses twice: once for his debut TKO against Joachim Christensen at UFC Fight Night 112 and again for his knockout of Chris Weidman at UFC on ESPN 6.
Additionally, his intense battle with Jiří Procházka at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka earned him a Fight of the Night award.
Reyes was nominated for the UFC Honors 2021 President’s Choice Fight of the Year for that same matchup against Procházka.
On UFC.com, he was recognized as the #9 Newcomer of the Year in 2017, his bout with Jon Jones was ranked #9 Fight of the Year in 2020, the Procházka fight was named Best Fight of the First Half of 2021 and #5 Fight of the Year overall that year.
In 2024, he was selected for MMA Fighting’s Third Team MMA All-Star list.
Beyond the UFC, his amateur achievements include winning the U of MMA championship twice, and his college football accolades feature First Team All-Big South honors and Stony Brook’s all-time solo tackles record.
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