UFC 310 is set to be the final PPV of 2024 and today we learned of the first matchup that’s being targeted for that card. MMA Mania reported earlier this evening that we will see a battle of former light heavyweight title challengers as Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (37-20) takes on Dominick Reyes (13-4).
This is a matchup that I always thought made sense, but it never seemed to materialize. Now, we’ll get to see it to close out 2024. Starting with Smith, he’s going to be looking to bounce back in this next fight. The last time we saw him was at UFC 303 when he fought Roman Dolidze on short notice. Smith looked flat and lost a decision.
That loss came on the heels of his first round finish over the previously unbeaten Vitor Petrino back in May. Overall, Smith is 2-2 in his last four fights. While he acknowledges that his chances of winning a UFC title might be slim to none, he still loves fighting and he’s still ranked inside the top fifteen.
UFC 310
Entering 2020, Dominick Reyes was the number one contender in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. He was a perfect 12-0 and he was set to take on Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title. Reyes put on a helluva performance and pushed Jones to the limit. Many feel that Reyes won the fight, but the judges gave the fight to Jones.
Following the loss, Reyes got a vacant title shot against Jan Blachowicz later that year but he fell short. After losing a second straight title shot, Reyes suffered a brutal knockout against eventual UFC champion Jiri Prochazka which forced him to take some time away. He returned in 2022 only to be finished by Ryan Spann in the first round.
Following the Spann loss, many wondered if we’d ever see Reyes again. Well, he returned at UFC Louisville back in June and looked sensational. He knocked out Dustin Jacoby in the first round and now he’ll look to get through Anthony Smith as he looks to regain his status as a top contender at light heavyweight.