Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2022-05-06, mma fight not so exciting: Ryan Bader vs Cheick Kongo 2 gets two stars (take a look at our ranking of the Best Mma Fights of 2022).
Kongo vs Bader 2 is the main event of Bellator 280 (also known as Bellator Paris) and it is valid for the Bellator heavyweight title. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2021-08-20, pretty good mma fight: Cheick Kongo vs Sergei Kharitonov gets three stars (take a look at our ranking of the Best Mma Fights of 2021).
Kharitonov vs Kongo is the main event of Bellator 265. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2020-10-10, fight not particularly good between Cheick Kongo and Timothy Johnson 2: it gets two stars.
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2019-09-07, we hope to see a rematch between Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo: it gets two stars.The current Bellator Hw, former light-Hw champion and Tuf 8 tournament winner Ryan Bader entered this fight with a record of 27-5-0 (56% finishing rate) and he is ranked as the No.7 heavyweight in the world (currently the #1 in this division is Stipe Miocic). He suffered his last loss when he faced Anthony Johnson in 2016 (Johnson vs Bader) since then he has won seven fights defeating Matt Mitrione (Ryan Bader vs Matt Mitrione) and Fedor Emelianenko in his last two (Fedor Emelianenko vs Ryan Bader).
His opponent, the black belt in karate and kendo Cheick Kongo, has a mma record of 30-10-2 (60% finishing rate) and he entered as the No.10 in the same weight class. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal in 2015 (Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won eight bouts beating Timothy Johnson (Cheick Kongo vs Timothy Johnson) and Vitaly Minakov in his last two (Vitaly Minakov vs Cheick Kongo 2). Bader vs Kongo, main event of Bellator 226, is valid for the Bellator heavyweight title (Bader’s first defense). Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2019-02-16, fight not so exciting between Vitaly Minakov and Cheick Kongo 2: it gets two stars.The undefeated black belt in judo, former Bellator and world combat sambo champion Vitaly Minakov entered this fight with a perfect mma record of 21-0-0 (90% finishing rate) but he is not ranked as he hasn’t fought since December 16, 2017 when he beat Tony Johnson (Vitaly Minakov vs Tony Johnson); before this bout, in 2017, he had also won over DJ Linderman (Minakov vs Linderman) and Antonio Bigfoot Silva (Minakov vs Silva).
His opponent, the black belt in karate and kendo Cheick Kongo, has an official record of 29-10-2 (62% finishing rate) and he entered as the No.14 heavyweight in the world. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal in 2015 (Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won seven bouts beating Javi Ayala (Cheick Kongo vs Javy Ayala) and Timothy Johnson (Cheick Kongo vs Timothy Johnson). In their first fight Kongo was defeated by Minakov via unanimous decision (April 4, 2014 – Vitaly Minakov vs Cheick Kongo I); this second bout is on the undercard of Michael Page vs Paul Daley – Bellator 216. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2018-10-13, good finish between Cheick Kongo and Timothy Johnson: it gets three stars.The black belt in karate and kendo Cheick Kongo entered this fight with a record of 28-10-2 (61% finishing rate) and he is ranked as the No.15 heavyweight in the world. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal in 2015 (Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won six bouts beating Augusto Sakai (Cheick Kongo vs Augusto Sakai) and Javi Ayala in his last two (Cheick Kongo vs Javy Ayala).
His opponent, Timothy Johnson, has a mma record of 12-4-0 (75% finishing rate) and he entered as the No.43 in the same weight class. He lost to Junior Albini in 2017 but he came back to win with Marcelo Golm in 2018 (Timothy Johnson vs Marcelo Golm). Kongo vs Johnson is on the undercard of Fedor Emelianenko vs Chael Sonnen – Bellator 208. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2018-05-12, pretty good finish between Cheick Kongo and Javy Ayala: it gets three stars.The black belt in karate and kendo Cheick Kongo entered this fight with a mma record of 27-10-2 (59% finishing rate) and he is ranked as the No.16 heavyweight in the world. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal in 2015 (Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won five bouts beating Oli Thompson (Kongo vs Thompson) and Augusto Sakai in 2017 (Cheick Kongo vs Augusto Sakai).
His opponent, Javy Ayala, has an official record of 10-6-0 (90% finishing rate) and he entered as the No.43 in the same weight class but he comes off the loss against Roy Nelson (Roy Nelson vs Javy Ayala); before this bout, in 2016, he had beat Sergei Kharitonov (Kharitonov vs Ayala). Kongo vs Ayala is on the undercard of Ryan Bader vs Muhammed King Mo Lawal – Bellator 199. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2017-05-19, boring fight between Cheick Kongo and Augusto Sakai: it gets one star!The black belt in karate and kendo Cheick Kongo entered this fight with a professional record of 26-10-2 (62% finishing rate) and he is ranked as the No.15 heavyweight in the world. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal in 2015 (=Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won four bouts beating Tony Johnson (=Kongo vs Johnson) and Oli Thompson in his last two (=Kongo vs Thompson).
His opponent, the undefeated Augusto Sakai, has a mma record of 9-0-1 (78% ko/tko victory rate – he has never won via submission) and he entered as the No.57 in the same weight class. He fought just once last year drawing with Dan Charles (=Sakai vs Charles). Cheick Kongo vs Augusto Sakai is on the undercard of Rory MacDonald vs Paul Daley – Bellator 179. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2017-02-18, fight not particularly good between Cheick Kongo and Oli Thompson: it gets two stars.The black belt in karate and kendo Cheick Kongo entered this fight with a professional record of 25-10-2 (64% finishing rate) and he is ranked as the No.17 heavyweight in the world. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal in 2015 (=Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won three bouts beating Vinicius Queiroz (=Kongo vs Queiroz) and Tony Johnson in 2016 (=Kongo vs Johnson).
His opponent, the former Britain’s Strongest Man champion Oli Thompson, has a mma record of 17-9-0 (76% finishing rate) and he entered as the No.50 in the same weight class but he comes off the loss against Matt Mitrione (=Mitrione vs Thompson). Cheick Kongo vs Oli Thompson is on the undercard of Josh Thomson vs Patricky Freire (on the original fight card the main event was Fedor Emelianenko vs Matt Mitrione but the American has forced to withdraw from the bout due to ill health) – Bellator 172. Watch the video and rate this fight!
Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2016-09-16, disappointing fight between Cheick Kongo and Tony Johnson: it gets two stars.The black belt in karate, kendo and Bellator Hw tournament winner (season 9) Cheick Kongo entered this fight with a professional mma record of 24-10-2 (67% finishing rate) and he is ranked as the No.17 heavyweight in the world. He lost to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal last year (=Lawal vs Kongo) but then he has won over Alexander Volkov (=Kongo vs Volkov) and Vinicius Queiroz (=Kongo vs Queiroz).
His opponent, Tony Johnson, has an official record of 10-2-0 (50% ko/tko victory rate – he has never won via submission) and he entered as the No.24 in the same weight class. He suffered his last defeat when he faced Chris Lokteff in 2013, since then he has won three bouts beating Raphael Butler in 2016 (=Johnson vs Butler). Kongo vs Johnson is the main event of Bellator 161. Watch the video and rate this fight!
