Chris Weidman to UFC on ESPN 6 opponent Dominick Reyes: 'I look forward to making you humble'

Start the promotional reels for UFC standouts Chris Weidman and Dominick Reyes. They talked up a fight for UFC on ESPN 6, and now they’ve got it.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, citing multiple sources, reported on Tuesday that former middleweight champ Weidman will make his light heavyweight debut against Reyes at the Oct. 18 event set for TD Garden in Boston. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.

The news hit shortly after ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported the fight was being discussed. That prompted Weidman and Reyes to exchange shots on Twitter.

Reyes preferred a title shot against champ Jon Jones but tweeted that he welcomed a detour to face Weidman.

I agree and I want Jones, but if they want me to take Weidmans head to prove I am the one, I’d be more than happy! #proveit #devastator

In turn, Weidman, the former UFC middleweight champ, referred to Reyes’ split-decision win over Volkan Oezdemir and added, “I look forward to making you humble.”

Did you forget you had a controversial split decision win your last fight? You think u would deserve a title shot ? And about taking my head I look forward to making you humble.

Weidman has the chance to jump into the title mix at 205 pounds following a 1-4 run in the division he once ruled. A hand injury kept him out of the cage for almost a year following a comeback win over recent interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum, and a return against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC 230 ended in a third-round knockout.

In June, Weidman announced a move up to light heavyweight with the aim of facing Jones.

“I’ve accomplished my goals at (185 pounds),” Weidman said. “I’ve had that belt wrapped around me four different times. I’m not saying the door is totally shut on ’85, but the weight cuts are tough, and I kind of want to see what my body is like without depleting itself.

“I won’t be the biggest 205er, that’s definitely for sure. But I don’t think I’ll be the smallest.”

Reyes has been on a hot streak since his UFC debut in 2017, winning five straight to climb into contention.

The two could be battling it out for the right to face Jones, who seeks a return to the cage in December barring complications from his most recent legal troubles.

UPDATE: The Twitter jabs continued after news of the fight broke.

For more on UFC on ESPN 6, check out the UFC schedule.