MMAjunkie Radio co-host and MMAjunkie contributor Dan Tom provides an in-depth breakdown of UFC Fight Night 129’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card.

UFC Fight Night 129 takes place Saturday at Movistar Arena, and the main card airs on FS1 following prelims on FS2 and UFC Fight Pass.

Also see:

• UFC Chile main-event breakdown: Should Kamaru Usman really be a 4-1 favorite over Demian Maia?
• UFC Fight Night 129 co-main event breakdown: Striker vs. grappler at 115 pounds

* * * *

Jared Cannonier (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC)

Jared Cannonier

Staple info:

• Height: 5’11” Age: 34 Weight: 205 lbs. Reach: 77″
• Last fight: Decision loss to Jan Blachowicz (Dec. 16, 2017)
• Camp: The MMA Lab (Arizona)
• Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ 6 KO victories
+ 2 submission wins
+ 6 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Good footwork
^ Shifts stances and takes angles
+ Solid combination striker
^ Variates attacks and levels
+ Serviceable grappling ability
+ Shows improved getups/scrambles
+/- 0-1 against UFC southpaws

Dominick Reyes (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)

Dominick Reyes

Staple info:

• Height: 6’4″ Age: 28 Weight: 205 lbs. Reach: 77″
• Last fight: Submission win over Jeremy Kimball (Dec. 12, 2017)
• Camp: Cage Combat Academy (California)
• Stance/striking style: Southpaw/kickboxing
• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt
+ 5 KO victories
+ 2 submission wins
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Explosive athlete
^ Measures distance well
+ Solid striking flow
^ Accurate left hand
+ Shows good wrestling fundamentals
^ Rides and transitions well

Summary:

In a light heavyweight affair that quietly carries weight, Jared Cannonier meets Dominick Reyes.

A former heavyweight who has found success at 205 pounds, Cannonier will attempt to showcase his skills on the main card, as well as get back in the win column. Standing in his way is Reyes, a prospect who many believe is a breath of fresh air that the division arguably needs.

Starting off on the feet, we have a battle between two skilled and explosive strikers that are accustom to making pressure their friend.

Steadily developing his game since his arrival into the UFC, Cannonier has made marked improvements under the care of John Crouch and the rest of the coaching staff at The MMA Lab. Now, Cannonier will move much more smoothly, shifting his stance pre or post-combination. Against Cyril Asker, the 34-year-old displayed the ability to put it all together, going southpaw mid-combo to score the finish with a follow-up left hand.

Utilizing pressure to create openings for offense, Cannonier keeps hard shots on a hair-trigger, ready to come forward or counter at the drop of a dime. But in facing another fighter who is quick on the draw, I will be curious to see how Cannonier approaches the predicament at hand.

A former collegiate football player who also has a base in wrestling, Reyes brings in a host of well-rounded, physical attributes to compliment his skills. And despite his background, the 28-year-old talent appears to have a natural feel for the striking arts.

Displaying a preternatural sense for range, Reyes uses pressure to draw out reactions. He has hard hooks and kicks that keep his opposition honest, but it’s his pinpoint left cross that acts as a battering ram, both coming forward and off the counter. And though most of his fights have ended in the first round, Reyes seems fine in not rushing the action, something that helps him punish his opposition at range while waiting for the right time to swarm.

Still, striking with someone like Cannonier is no walk in the park, which makes me wonder if Reyes will implement what I believe to be an advantage on the floor.

Despite a small sample size to draw from, Reyes demonstrates solid wrestling chops in transit, whether he is using fundamentals to defend takedowns or exercising what appears to be a more than serviceable takedown game (both in the open and against the fence). Considering that his opponent has struggled off of his back in previous contests, we could see Reyes attempt to take this fight into the grappling realm.

That said, Cannonier has made noticeable efforts in the grappling department in his last couple of contests. Even though the former heavyweight tends to retain guard a bit too much for my liking when it comes to MMA. Cannonier has recently shown that he can create space and scrambles when necessary, either by putting his feet on the hips and pushing off or turtling to stand from trouble spots. The potential problem with that approach, however, is that he may not get away with these techniques against Reyes, who appears to be able to ride or back-mount in those type of scenarios.

Demonstrating solid positional awareness, Reyes seems to prefer striking from high-percentage positions as opposed to selling out completely on submission attempts (unless the time calls for it, of course). That type of maturity this early on in a fighter’s career speaks loudly to me, and Reyes’ technique when he is advancing for position isn’t half-bad either.

Splitting his time training with UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes and the crew of the former Elevation Fight Team in Denver, I suspect that Reyes has only continued to build upon these skills as they will likely serve him well in this type of matchup.

The oddsmakers and public seem to be steadily taking a side, listing Reyes -255 and Cannonier +210 as of this writing.

Given that Reyes opened as a slight favorite, I suspect that the public is seeing what I’ve been saying since his arrival: Reyes could be the next big thing at light heavyweight.

Now, that’s no disrespect to Cannonier, who can certainly tax Reyes’ sometimes upright posture on the feet should the young talent get too confident. But between Reyes’ natural gifts of length and range to his preternatural spread of well-rounded skills, I have a hard time betting against him here. Unless Cannonier can get the four-year pro to second-guess himself early and often, then I see Reyes being able to dictate the terms of this fight, eventually finishing things off on the floor via rear-naked-choke on a turtling Cannonier.

Official pick: Reyes inside the distance