Two months ago, Wilson Reis was celebrating a freshly announced title shot against flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson.

While some may have been surprised with the news, Reis certainly wasn’t. Beaming with confidence, the Brazilian flyweight seemed ecstatic about the matchup, exalting the perfect timing and conditions ahead of what was set to be the biggest opportunity of his career.

That, as we know, didn’t pan out. Now, set to face UFC newcomer Hector Sandoval (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 201 after a few twists and turns, Reis (20-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) looks to make the best of the – admittedly frustrating – hand he’s been dealt.

“Going from Demetrious Johnson – one of the best pound-for-pound (fighters) in the world – to a normal fight was a little sad,” Reis told MMAjunkie. “I was very well-trained, but I didn’t have many options. We tried to fight him at another date, but since the UFC is doing ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and the winner will get the title shot, there wasn’t the possibility of my being his next fight. It would have to be after that fight with the ‘TUF’ champion. I didn’t want to stop my camp. I’m very well-trained, and I wanted to make the best out of it, so I chose to take another fight.

“I was sad. I was upset. I was training for a huge fight and opportunity. I had that on my mind for two months, building expectations, improving myself. And the fight wasn’t even postponed; it was canceled. It was certainly very frustrating.”

Now, Reis’ focus has shifted to Sandoval, whom he fights in the FS1-televised preliminary-card portion of the July 30 event at Philips Arena in Atlanta. UFC 201’s main card, headlined by a welterweight title bout between champ Robbie Lawler and Tyron Woodley, airs on pay-per-view.

Reis, No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA flyweight rankings, clarifies he’s not sleeping on Sandoval – a Team Alpha Male product who brings in 12 wins in his last 13 bouts. But he said a two-month preparation to fight No. 1 ranked Johnson did equip him to handle a lot of what can be thrown his way.

“Honestly, I don’t know much about him,” Reis said. “I didn’t even look much. I left it to my coaches since I’m not usually one to look too much into fighters. I know it’s going to be a tough guy. He trains with Urijah Faber. I think he’s a bit shorter than me, which is good. We know he’s very explosive. He’s got a good record and is coming off a good moment. It’s also a good opportunity for him, to fight me right away, so he’s going to come in with all he’s got, and we’ll be prepared.

“I was getting ready to fight the best in my division, so whomever I face now doesn’t matter much. I’m focused. And adjusting the game right now isn’t that hard. We’re just making a few tweaks for him, but we’re ready.”

His situation isn’t unique. With injuries regularly rearranging UFC main and co-main events, title-bound prospects are sometimes left with little to be gained in last-minute matchups. Tony Ferguson, who took on Lando Vannata instead of Michael Chiesa in this month’s UFC Fight Night 91 co-headliner, or Khabib Nurmagumedov, who had little trouble getting past late replacement Darrel Horcher at UFC on FOX 19, are recent examples.

Reis agrees that the downsides of a possible loss most often outweigh the benefits of a win in cases like these. But, at the end of the day, the fact that fighting is their livelihood doesn’t give them much wiggle room when it comes to less-than-ideal scenarios.

“In my case, I took the case for a few reasons,” Reis said. “There’s the fact I don’t want to lose my preparation. I was very well-prepared. And also because of the financial investment that was put into the camp. You need to save some of the money spent. And also, having to fight. If I could wait for Johnson, I would, but I don’t have that option.

“I can’t just sit around. My option was to take on whomever they gave me. It’s kind of an upsetting situation, but it’s part of being a fighter. Injuries happen. The sad thing about my situation is that it was a huge fight, for the belt, and we were doing everything right.”

He might not have had his way this time, but that doesn’t mean the Brazilian flyweight has given up on his stab at Johnson’s 125-pound throne.

“I’m fighting (Sandoval); hopefully I’ll win and win well,” Reis said. “I want to ask for a fight the same day Demetrious comes back, against a well-ranked guy. I’m going to win and maybe challenge him that same day.

“I’ve trained for five rounds to train with the best, pound-for-pound. I won’t fight him now, but I’m always prepared, and this is the fight I deserve. I’ll do everything right, so I’m always right there. When it happens, they can count on me. I’m ready. Whatever happens, I’m going to be ready. But what I want the most right now is to fight for the belt.”

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