Reyes stops Weidman in first round
Dominick Reyes remained undefeated in 12 fights, stopping former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman by technical knockout in the first round Friday night at UFC Fight Night at the TD Garden.
Reyes dropped Weidman (14-5) with a straight left hand in the non-title light heavyweight main event. After Reyes landed a few more punches to the head, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 1:43.
“I just felt loose,” the 29-year-old Reyes said. “I was enjoying the fight. I saw him lunging in and I cracked him. I could tell he was hurt.”
Reyes, from Victorville, California, entered the fight ranked fourth in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
The 35-year-old Weidman, of Baldwinville, New York, is a former UFC middleweight champion. This was his first fight as a light heavyweight. He entered the fight as the UFC’s sixth-ranked middleweight.
After the fight, Reyes called out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“Jon, I want that belt,” Reyes said.
In the co-main event, Yair Rodriguez won his rematch against Jeremy Stephens in a three-round featherweight bout, posting a unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 29-28. Rodriguez, a Mexican now living in Chicago, improved to 13-2 with one no-contest. Stephens, of San Diego, dropped to 28-17 with one contest).
Stephens controlled the third round, taking Rodriguez down twice and keeping him on the mat for the final three minutes.
Midway through the second round, Rodriguez took down Stephens and landed several punches to the head before Stephens reversed the situation and eventually stood up. In the final minute of the second, Stephens took down Rodriguez and landed two uppercuts while controlling his opponent from behind.
Stephens and Rodriguez fought on Sept. 21 in Mexico City. Fifteen seconds into
the fight, Rodriguez swatted Stephens in the left eye and Stephens could not continue, making the bout a no contest.
Former NFL All-Pro defensive end Greg Hardy won a three-round unanimous decision against Ben Sosoli of Australia at heavyweight. All three judges scored the bout 39-37. Hardy, who played for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, improved to 4-1. Sosoli dropped to 7-3 with one no contest.