After coming up short in three of his last four outings, 205-pound standout Dustin Jacoby looks to make a statement when he steps back inside the Octagon for a clash with former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes at a UFC Louisville on June 8.
After seeing his seven-fight win streak snapped via back-to-back losses against Khalil Rountree and Azamat Murzakanov, ‘The Hanyak’ appeared to get back on track with an 82-second knockout against Kennedy Nzechukwu. Unfortunately, his success was short-lived.
Last competing at UFC 296 in December, Jacoby came up short on the scorecards, surrendering a unanimous decision to Alonzo Menifield.
Speaking with James Lynch in a MiddleEasy exclusive interview, Jacoby looked back on his fight against Menifield with regret, believing he had everything in control until his opponent landed a perfectly timed left hook that changed everything.
“Menifield is a great fighter,” Jacoby said. “He’s a strong and powerful guy, but I just don’t believe the better fighter won that night. I think that it was a fight I was in control of. I thought I had it. I could see in the third round I kept peppering him with my jab. I could see him start to bleed. I could see in his eyes that he was about done and I don’t know if it was me letting my guard down or what, but I remember when I thought to myself, ‘Man, I got this guy,’ 10 seconds later he threw that big left hook that caught me.
“Obviously I was able to battle back up to my feet, but unfortunately, I think the damage was done and I had no complaints. I’ve won fights where they’ve been super competitive and I’ve landed a big punch that really made it feel like I won the fight and I think that’s how he felt. It was just really unfortunate.”
Alonzo Menifield wins a decision over Dustin Jacoby 👀 Who agrees with the judges? #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/pA6rzFToEV
— Sanabul (@Sanabul) December 17, 2023
Gearing up for his fight with Reyes, Jacoby was asked whether or not he had been training with Factory X teammate Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith.
“He does train with us, but he has not been in since his last fight when he got that big win,” Jacoby explained. “He lives in Nebraska and when he does train here, he’s traveling and doing camps. He’s a busy guy so I haven’t seen him since his fight, but I usually do train with Anthony.”
After dropping three of his last four, Smith stormed back into the win column with a two-minute submission victory over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301.
As for how he sees things playing out against ‘The Devastator,’ Jacoby plans to test Reyes’ chin early and put the 34-year-old vet away in the opening round of their co-main event.
“Jacoby by knockout, first round,” Jacoby boldly predicted. “I’m gonna go in there and I’m gonna take the fight to him. I shouldn’t just play around. I’m gonna take the fight to him, test his chin a little bit.”
Dustin Jacoby Addresses Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 and the Ongoing Jon Jones Saga
Things have gotten quite interesting at the top of Dustin Jacoby’s division as reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira appears to be staring down the barrel of a rematch with former titleholder Jiri Prochazka.
Initially, it looked as though ‘Poatan’ would put his gold on the line against surging No. 2 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev, but after the Russian suggested the two wait until October when the UFC makes its annual pit stop in Abu Dhabi, Pereira was uninterested in waiting around.
“I think you can’t go wrong with either guy,” Jacoby said of both Prochazka and Ankalaev. “Both are very deserving. With Jiri man, how could you not? I like that rematch. I am so incredibly shocked that he lost the first time. His MMA game is on a higher level than Pereira’s, but at the same time, Pereira just keeps doing his thing. I’ll forever be a Pereira fan, but I think Jiri is the right call and I think he can get it done.”
THE FIRST FACE OFF BETWEEN PROCHAZKA AND PEREIRA 😤 #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/nX7pqWjsGP
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 9, 2023
While things at 205 seem well in hand, things are a bit more complicated at heavyweight. Reigning undisputed champion Jon Jones has been laid up since last year after suffering a pectoral injury weeks away from his superfight with former two-time champ Stipe Miocic.
In the time since, the UFC has crowned a new interim heavyweight champion in Tom Aspinall. On July 27, Aspinall will become the first fighter to defend an interim belt in more than a decade as Jones and the UFC insist on keeping the fight with Miocic a top priority.
Fans are still holding out hope that Jones will return to the Octagon to fight Aspinall after handling his business with Miocic, but with him regularly teasing retirement on social media, there’s no telling whether or not ‘Bones’ will take another fight after Miocic.
“If I was a betting man, I think he would take another fight after [Stipe], but at the same time, I don’t know,” Jacoby said. “He’s been saying a lot lately that he’s got nothing left to prove and I can’t argue with that. The guy, in my opinion, is the GOAT of mixed martial arts. He’s incredibly gifted physically and what he’s been able to accomplish throughout his career is nothing short of amazing.
“I think him and Stipe will be a great fight. I don’t really have a prediction for that one. I love Stipe. They’re both pretty athletic. Jones is just a different breed. I’d like to see him fight a couple more. I would like to see the Tom Aspinall fight because Aspinall is just a freak of nature. To be that big, that quick, and athletic, I really think he’d give Jones a run for his money.”
Watch the full exclusive interview below:
