Cheick Kongo is a decorated striker who is best known as a kick-boxer. He had a decent run in the UFC, and the promotion actually offered him a contract extension back in Spring 2013, after he lost the final fight on his contract to Roy Nelson. Kongo, however, opted to leave to the "greener" pastures of Bellator, becoming a big fish in a small pond. He was looking for a title shot, and he got it - only to lose a decision to reigning champion Vitaly Minakov. He "bounced back" with a win over the unheralded and unheard of Eric Smith in May, but Bellator 123 was the real test for Kongo, as he was paired up with Lavar Johnson, a heavy hitter who formerly made his home in the UFC until a positive drug test. Johnson had struggled in Bellator to date, going 1-2, but was still a threat heading into the night and more than capable of knocking Kongo out. He came close, too tagging the French fighter early in the first round. At one point, Kongo went down - but he recovered, took Johnson down, and looked for the ground and pound win. Or so we thought. In the end he wound up taking Johnson's back, and locked in a rear naked choke for the win at the 3:27 mark of the first round. Not a bad night for Kongo, and he reminds us that he's a true mixed martial artist. It shouldn't take much more to get him back into a title bout.
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.
