Alex Reyes talks six year layoff and returning at UFC Vegas 70

Alex Reyes hasn’t fought in six years, but at UFC Vegas 70, he’ll get to once again make the walk to the octagon.

Reyes hasn’t been just off hanging out for six year. In fact, his life as been filled with many difficult moments since the last time he fought in 2017.

In 2018, Reyes got a stem cell injection into his spine and instead of helping his back, it made things worse.

The stem cells that were put into Reyes body were filled with E. coli and other bacteria’s. The spine infection was so bad that Reyes couldn’t walk, was advised to change careers and he was told there was a possibility that he’d never walk again.

Luckily, Reyes was able to fight through everything and his body would eventually come around to feeling like his old self.

The thought of never fighting again crossed his mind a lot throughout the course of his recovery, but as he began to feel better, he knew he had to return.

Finally in 2023, Reyes knew it was time to fight again. He’s been coaching athletes and working with them in the gym and he realized that his body is ready to compete once again.

Now at UFC Vegas 70 on Feb. 25, Reyes will take on Trevor Peek in his return fight which will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Prior to the fight, Reyes spoke with MyMMANews in an interview following a sparring session from the UFC Performance Institute.

In his interview, Reyes discussed what the last six years have been like, his journey back to fighting, his UFC Vegas 70 matchup against Peek and how much he’s enjoyed coaching.

You can watch his full interview in the video above.

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John Eric Poli