Athletes
Alex Reyes Is Finally Having Fun
With A Shifting Perspective, Alex Reyes Hopes To Get His Hand Raised At UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya
Everyone needs an Alex Reyes in their life. Despite being in the midst of training camp for the most important fight of his career this weekend in Perth, Reyes left his home in California, got on a couple flights to Manchester, England to corner his teammate King Green, returned, and then hopped on a plane to Australia to face Tom Nolan.
Now that’s a teammate.
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“I feel you on that,” laughed Reyes as he battled it out with jetlag after arriving in Manchester for the UFC 304 card. “But he's a good dude, man. He's a big reason why I came back, and he’s just a good friend. He was there for me in my last fight and asked me to be there for him for his fight. And I'm not going to say no. We were there for each other. I got his back, he got mine. So wherever we go to war, we're going to war together.”
You don’t see that loyalty too often in any walk of life, so it’s always a pleasant surprise when it shows up. And though Green fell short of victory that night against Paddy Pimblett, Reyes has taken note of his friend’s journey in the MMA world, and how one loss – or several – won’t be a death sentence if you keep grinding.
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“It's been great being around him, his energy, his mindset,” said Reyes of Green. “Then us being friends since 2013 and being training partners back then, we had a good vibe, a good connection, keeping things fun, light, and really enjoying it. At the end of the day in life, when you're doing things and things are tough and hard, it's about doing it with people that you choose to do it with that make your day pleasant. And we're in there grinding together, pushing each other, and he's really pushed me and helped me a lot mentally. I'm grateful for that. And it's fun. I've taken a lot from training with him and understanding some of his outlook and perspective on fighting. It's definitely helped me.”
I mention to Reyes that he’s been tossing out the “F” word pretty liberally. He laughs.
“Did I cuss?”
No, not that “F” word, but the word fun. You don’t hear that associated with the fight business too often, but the 37-year-old has found openings to enjoy this toughest of sports.
“I'm definitely having fun,” he said. “It’s a little bit different vibe, man. I'm traveling the world and I feel great.”
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You’re happy for him because if anyone deserves to have a little levity in his work life, it’s the Victorville product, who has gone through more valleys than peaks since his UFC debut in 2017. Reyes lost that first trip to the Octagon to Mike Perry, then went through a six-year battle with a rare spinal infection, followed by a torn ligament in his hand, before he returned to active-duty last September, only to get stopped by Charlie Campbell.
No fun.
“I was definitely worried,” said Reyes of the aftermath of the Campbell bout. “I was like, jeez, I hope they don't cut me. I hope I get another opportunity and chance to get in there and do the dance again and have fun and let go and really show what I can do.”
The “F” word again. And if Reyes is feeling good and enjoying the ride, Nolan is going to be in for a fight this weekend.
“I feel like I belong here even more,” Reyes said. “I made the corrections, recognized the mistakes I made, and it just made me more hungry to get back in there and get back in the win column. It's just that rush, the feeling you get after all the hard work you put in and crossing that finish line and getting the result that you want. Nothing else can compare to it.”
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on August 17, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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