Jeremy Kimball, who rebounded from a loss in his short-notice debut to earn a Performance of the Night bonus in his sophomore stoppage win over Josh Stansbury on the same fight card. With their timelines in sync and their careers on a similar trajectory, pairing the two aspiring light heavyweights was an easy decision.While a spot on the list of contenders is still a couple victories away, a win for Reyes here could further expedite his rise up the rankings. A two-time all-conference defensive back at Stony Brook University, he has the size and athleticism to potentially be a force in the cage and if he can up his winning streak to eight, Reyes should get a good, long look against some established competition in early 2018.
After agreeing to face Marcin Tybura on short notice at UFC 208 only to have the bout scratched due to medical issues on the eve of the fight, “Big Pretty” finally made his Octagon debut in July, venturing to Glasgow to collect a unanimous decision win over James Mulheron.
Now the 30-year-old American Kickboxing Academy representative looks to make it two straight in the UFC as he takes on Allen Crowder.
Like Reyes, Willis played college football before transitioning to mixed martial arts, manning the defensive line at San Jose State University. A big man (even for heavyweight) with surprising mobility and quickness, the 5-1 sophomore showed flashes of potential in his win over Mulheron and has the potential to make great strides between appearances given that he’s getting training reps alongside the likes of light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold and former heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez in San Jose.
The bottom half of the heavyweight division is in a perpetual state of flux and a couple strong showings is all it takes to climb into the Top 15 and earn a chance to make a significant impact. Willis got started down that path with his victory in Glasgow and if he can follow it up with a second win here, he could be in line for a promotion in the not too distant future.
Curtis Blaydes, Crowder is the more seasoned and experienced fighter in his matchup with Willis and should use that to his advantage.There is nothing in particular that stands out about Crowder’s game, but I don’t say that as a slight; he’s a high-motor grinder that is going to take his lumps and keep coming forward, never letting off the gas. It has carried him to the biggest stage in the sport and could very well carry him into the Top 15 in the next year or two as well.
