Weight Class: Heavyweight It's a battle of former UFC heavyweights as Cheick Kongo (21-9) takes on Lavar Johnson (18-9) in another fight that could have title shot implications. Johnson was a big (no pun intended) signing for Bellator, a former UFC fighter who, while having been cut after a failed drug test, still looked to have some potential. That never panned out, as he quickly washed out of Bellator's heavyweight tournament. With tournaments a thing of the past, a win over Cheick Kongo, still a big-name heavyweight despite having lost his first title shot in Bellator, could get Johnson a fight away from the belt. Kongo, meanwhile, was most recently seen beating a tomato can on the undercard of Bellator 120, the promotion's Pay-per-View, in an embarrassing mismatch that never should have happened. And despite looking like he was fighting a fan plucked from the crowd, Kongo still looked shaky, fighting down to his opponent. This is actually a tough fight to call. Kongo should win it, but if he puts on another sloppy performance like his Bellator 120 outing, he could wind up knocked out, because while Bellator 120 opponent Eric Smith lacked the ability to put Kongo to sleep, Johnson has knockout power in spades. If you want to go the safe route, it's Kongo by decision, and we'll play it safe on this one.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
