Cheick Kongo is a French

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

Mixed Martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and former

Kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

who fights in

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. As of May 10, 2022, he is #4 in the Bellator Heavyweight Rankings.

Early life

Born to a Burkinabé father and a Congolese mother, Kongo began training in martial arts when he was 5 years old, learning

Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...

and

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

. As he grew older, he had already received black belt from both styles and began to expand his repertoire and trained in

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

Savate Savate (), also known as boxe française, savate boxing, French boxing or French footfighting, is a French kickboxing combat sport that uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of English boxing with graceful kicking techniques. ...

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

and

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

. at age of 19. At age 23,

Silat is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Philip ...

, an Indonesian martial art, and was coached by Charles Joussot and Franck Ropers, men who brought Silat to France. He is also a cousin of rugby star Fulgence Ouedraogo, the French back-rower. Cheick is also a columnist for the French MMA magazine, Top Fight.

Mixed martial arts career

On June 10, 2001, Kongo began his professional career by knocking out Doog Ward. Kongo then followed up that win with a TKO over Dave van der Veen. He then lost his third professional MMA fight to Rodney Faverus by decision. He faced

Gilbert Yvel Gilbert Ramon Yvel (born 30 June 1976) is a Dutch professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1997, Yvel competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Affliction, the UFC, Road FC, the RFA, RINGS, M-1 Challenge, Cage ...

on May 20, losing for the second time in his career when he tapped to strikes in the second round. He trained with Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva in the early days of

Pride Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Kongo entered the UFC to fight Gilbert Aldana at ''

UFC 61 ''UFC 61: Bitter Rivals'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, July 8, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in ...

'', whom he beat by TKO due to a doctor stoppage. Kongo followed up with a win over UFC newcomer

Christian Wellisch Christian Wellisch (born September 13, 1975) is a Hungarian-American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2009, he competed for the UFC, WEC, and King of the Cage. Mixed martial arts career Welli ...

by KO due to a knee strike, before losing to UFC newcomer

Carmelo Marrero Carmelo Marrero (born January 26, 1981) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. He has competed for the UFC, WEC, Bellator Fighting Championships, the IFL, and the ...

at ''

UFC 64 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

''. Then, Kongo defeated

Assuerio Silva Assuério Silva (born June 18, 1974) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional boxer, having competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pancrase. He became the Heavyweight King of Pancrase on May 30, 2007, defeating Tatsuya ...

by majority decision at ''

UFC 70 ''UFC 70: Nations Collide'' was the second UFC event held in the United Kingdom, and the first in Manchester on Saturday, 21 April 2007. ''UFC 70'' was also only the seventh UFC event held outside the United States, and the first since ''UFC 38 ...

''. At ''

UFC 75 ''UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held September 8, 2007, at The O2 in London, United Kingdom. Background The event was the fourth event held by the UFC in ...

'' on September 8, 2007, he defeated

Mirko Cro Cop Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro ...

by unanimous decision. Though there was controversy as Kongo kneed Cro Cop in the groin several times without having any points deducted, inspiring American MMA fans to give Kongo the nickname "

Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...

Cheick". He fought against

Heath Herring Heath Herring (born March 2, 1978) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division of Rizin. While perhaps best known for competing in PRIDE, he has also formerly competed for the UFC and K-1. ...

at ''

UFC 82 ''UFC 82: Pride of a Champion'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event that took place on March 1, 2008, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Background The main event was a UFC & Pride FC middleweight title unification match between UFC mid ...

'', losing by split decision. At ''

UFC 87 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

'' he fought against UFC newcomer Dan "The Viking" Evensen, whom he defeated by first-round TKO. Kongo fought at

UFC 92 ''UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event featured UFC Ligh ...

on December 27, 2008, where he beat former

Cage Rage Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...

British Heavyweight champion Mustapha al-Turk by TKO. Kongo dropped Al Turk with two right hands. Then fired on a vicious ground and pound attack, Kongo pounced on al-Turk with elbows and punches, opening up a big cut above the eye. Referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight after 4:37 of the first round. In his next fight he then defeated

Antoni Hardonk Antoni Hardonk (born February 5, 1976) is a Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in K-1 and the UFC. Kickboxing career Antoni made his K-1 debut at the '' K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Preliminary Scandinavia'' on June 9, 2001 whe ...

UFC 97 ''UFC 97: Redemption'' (not to be confused with ''UFC 17: Redemption'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 18, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background This event broke the UFC attendanc ...

by second-round TKO. Kongo replaced Heath Herring on three weeks notice at

UFC 99 ''UFC 99: The Comeback'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 13, 2009 in Cologne, Germany. Background This event was the first UFC event held in Germany, as well as the first in mainland Europe ...

to face the up-and-coming

Cain Velasquez Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...

in the co-main event. Kongo lost to Velasquez by unanimous decision in a one-sided affair. He did however, manage to drop Velasquez on two occasions with straight punches. It had been rumoured that if he was to defeat Velasquez, Kongo would earn a title shot against the winner of the

UFC 100 ''UFC 100'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on July 11, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event was the most bought UFC pay-per-view of all time with a buyrate of 1.6million, until UFC 202 brok ...

Heavyweight Championship between

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...

and

Frank Mir Francisco Santos Mir III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator MMA in the Heavyweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years. A f ...

. Mir lost his bout against Lesnar and actually ended up fighting Kongo at

UFC 107 ''UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez '' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum. Background On October 21, it was announced that a previous matchup betwe ...

. During the pre-fight talk, Mir stated that Kongo had no ground game, so at the weigh ins Cheick Kongo turned his back to Mir, to be disrespectful. Mir won the fight by a submission. After connecting with a left overhand punch that dropped Kongo, Mir finished him with a guillotine choke, rendering Kongo unconscious just 72 seconds into the first round. Kongo defeated

Paul Buentello Paul Anthony Buentello (born January 16, 1974) is an American former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1997, Buentello competed in the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Affliction, King of the Cage, Shark Fights, ACB, Legacy FC, a ...

on March 21, 2010, at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones by submission due to elbows. Kongo was expected to face

The Ultimate Fighter 10 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights'' is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. In a press conference following ''UFC 98'', Dana White announced that filming ...

winner Roy Nelson on July 3, 2010, at

UFC 116 ''UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was voted as the Best Major Show in the 2010 Wrestling Observer ...

but a back injury to Kongo has caused the cancellation of the fight. Kongo would end up fighting Nelson almost 3 years later at

UFC 159 ''UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 27, 2013, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background Jimy Hettes was expected to face Steven Siler at the event; however, Hettes was forced out of the bou ...

. Kongo's next fight was against undefeated

Travis Browne Travis Kuualiialoha Browne (born July 17, 1982) is an American retired mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed as a heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Browne was born in H ...

UFC 120 ''UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010, at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The card featured six televised MMA bouts, as well as four un-aired preli ...

. They fought to a unanimous draw. Kongo repeatedly grabbed Browne's shorts and had 1 point deducted in the final round. Kongo fought Pat Barry on June 26, 2011, at

UFC on Versus 4 ''UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry'' (also known as ''UFC on Versus 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 26, 2011, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event was broadcast on Versus ...

. His fight against Barry became the main event since

Nate Marquardt Nathan Joel Marquardt (born April 20, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the middleweight and welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 1999, he is a former Strikeforce W ...

was not medically cleared for his welterweight debut against

Rick Story Rick Thomas Story (born August 28, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2007-2018, he last competed for the Professional Fighters League, but is better known for his 19-fight tenure with the UFC. Background Stor ...

. During the bout Kongo was dropped by a looping right hand. Visibly rocked, Kongo got back to his feet but was dropped again seconds later by another hard punch. Despite being dropped twice, Kongo was able to knock Barry out with a hard overhand right to the ear, followed by an uppercut to the chin to secure a win midway through the first round. Kongo faced

Matt Mitrione Matthew Steven Mitrione (born July 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MMA ...

on October 29, 2011, at

UFC 137 ''UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 29, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally expected to tak ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision by utilizing his reach with his jab and securing multiple takedowns. Kongo faced

Mark Hunt Mark Richard Hunt (born 23 March 1974) is a New Zealand former mixed martial artist and kickboxer of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) until 2018 and was the winn ...

on February 26, 2012, at

UFC 144 ''UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Venue UFC 144 was held at the Saitama Super Arena in the ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Kongo was expected to face

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (, born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Inter ...

on July 21, 2012, at

UFC 149 The year 2012 was the 20th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2012 started with UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and ended with UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 ...

. However, Nogueira pulled out of the bout, citing that an arm injury sustained in his last bout against

had not healed enough to resume the proper training and was replaced by

Shawn Jordan Shawn Martin Jordan (born October 24, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Professional Fighters League's Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, Jordan has also formerly competed for ...

. Kongo defeated Jordan via unanimous decision. Kongo finally faced Roy Nelson on April 27, 2013, at

, a bout that was supposed to happen almost 3 years before at UFC 116. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. After his loss to Nelson, Kongo's UFC contract expired and he was released from the UFC. Before UFC 159 the UFC offered Kongo a four-fight deal, which he turned down. Kongo left the UFC with a 11-6-1 record. On May 4, 2013 Kongo stated that he is on good terms with the UFC and was quoted saying: "Don't believe he said-she said stories. I have not been cut by the UFC. I am Cheick Kongo so I know best what's next for me. It doesn't mean that I am leaving the UFC, it doesn't mean that I am staying – it means this is my life." Kongo has stated that he is open to the possibility of resigning a contract with the UFC.

Bellator MMA

Shortly after it was announced that Cheick's teammate

Rampage Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middl ...

was going to

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

, it was stated that Kongo will be following his teammate. Kongo's move to

was official on August 28, 2013. Kongo made his debut in the Season 9 Heavyweight tournament. He faced Mark Godbeer on October 4, 2013, at

Bellator 102 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

. Kongo won the fight via TKO in the second round. He was then expected to face

Vinicius Queiroz Vinicius Kappke de Queiroz (born August 29, 1983) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division of Bellator. A professional competitor since 2003, he has also competed for the UFC. Background Origina ...

in the tournament finals, on November 2, 2013, at

Bellator 106 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

. However, due to a change in the line up, the bout was canceled. Kongo vs. Queiroz was then expected to take place on November 8, 2013, at

Bellator 107 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. However, Queiroz was later forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury and was replaced by Peter Graham. Kongo won the fight via unanimous decision. Kongo faced undefeated Bellator Heavyweight Champion

Vitaly Minakov Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (russian: Виталий Викторович Минаков; born February 6, 1985, Bryansk) is a Russians, Russian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Sambo (martial art), sambist and judoka currently competing ...

at Bellator 115 on April 4, 2014. He lost the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. Kongo faced Eric Smith at

Bellator 120 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

on May 17, 2014. He won the fight via TKO by way of knees and punches at 4:35 of Round 2. Kongo faced fellow striker

Lavar Johnson Lavar F. Johnson (born June 11, 1977) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former Heavyweight mixed martial artist. A professional from 2004 until 2014, he competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. Background Johnson is ...

Bellator 123 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

on September 5, 2014. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round. This marked his first submission win that was not caused by strikes since 2003. Kongo faced King Mo Lawal at Bellator 134: The British Invasion on February 27, 2015. He lost the fight via split decision. Kongo faced former

Bellator Heavyweight Champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

Alexander Volkov on June 26, 2015, at Bellator 139. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Kongo faced

Bellator 150 2016 in Bellator MMA was the eighth year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promoter based in the United States. Bellator held 23 events in 2016. Background 2016 is notable for the launch of sibling promotion Bellator Kickboxi ...

on February 26, 2016. In the third round, Kongo was dropped by a right hand, however, he was able to recover and win a split decision. Kongo faced Tony Johnson at Bellator 161 on September 16, 2016. He won the fight via majority decision. Kongo faced former training partner

Oli Thompson Oli or OLI may refer to: Places * Oli-ye Jonubi, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran * Oli-ye Shomali, a village in Bushehr Province, Iran People * Óli, a Faroese and Icelandic given name * Oliver (given name), nickname * Oli (footballer), a ...

at Bellator 172 on February 18, 2017. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Kongo faced

Augusto Sakai Augusto Sakai (born May 19, 1991) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in Bellator MMA and is now competing in the Heavyweight division of the UFC. Mixed martial arts career Early career Sakai made his professional MMA d ...

at Bellator 179 on May 19, 2017. He won the fight via split decision. Kongo faced

Javy Ayala Javier "Javy" Ayala (born August 22, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for Tachi Palace Fights. Background Born and rai ...

at Bellator 199 on May 12 in San Jose, CA. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Kongo faced Timothy Johnson on October 13, 2018, at Bellator 208. He won the fight by knockout in the first round. Kongo faced

for a second time on February 16, 2019, at Bellator 216 He won the fight by unanimous decision. On July 11, 2019, it was announced that Kongo will be facing

Ryan Bader Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan DuWayne Bader (born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, a ...

for the

Bellator Heavyweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

on September 7 at Bellator 226. The bout ended in a no contest at 3:52 of the first round after an accidental eye poke from Bader rendered Kongo unable to continue. On May 4, 2020, it was revealed that Kongo had signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator. On October 10, 2020, Kongo fought in a rematch Timothy Johnson at Bellator 248 in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. He lost via split decision. Kongo faced

Sergei Kharitonov Sergei Valerievich Kharitonov (russian: Серге́й Вале́рьевич Харито́нов, Sergéj Valér'jevich Kharitónov, ; born August 18, 1980) is a Russian professional heavyweight mixed martial artist and former kick ...

on August 20, 2021 at

Bellator 265 Bellator 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on August 20, 2021 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. Background A heavyweight bout between #3 ranked ...

. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke in round two. Kongo faced

for the

on May 6, 2022 at

Bellator 280 ''Bellator 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on May 6, 2022, at AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. Background After successfully defending his Bellator Heavyweight Title over in ...

. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Championships and achievements

Kickboxing

* 2005 World Champion Federation King of the Rings * 2005 King of Colosseum Tournament Champion * 2005 Rings World Champion * 2004 King of the Ring Super World Champion * 2004 Muay Thai World Champion * 2003 Intercontinental Muay Thai Champion * 2002 RINGS European Champion * 2001 RINGS European Vice Champion * European Savate Champion

Mixed martial arts

** Bellator Season 9 Heavyweight Tournament Championship ** Most fights in Bellator Heavyweight division history (17) ** Most victories in Bellator Heavyweight division history (13) *

** Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Pat Barry **

Knockout of the Year '' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has named a Knockout of the Year since 1989, based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Knockouts of the Year by decade 1980s * 1989: Michael Nunn ''KO 1'' Sumbu Kalambay 1990s * 1990: Terr ...

(2011) vs. Pat Barry * King of the Ring ** KOTR Super World Champion -103 kg * World MMA Awards ** 2011 Comeback of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 31–12–2 (1) ,

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

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San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

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Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 ...

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Cedar Park, Texas Cedar Park is a city and a major suburb of Austin in the state of Texas, approximately to the north-west of the center of Austin. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the city's population was 77,595. History Before the arrival of European settl ...

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Mulvane, Kansas Mulvane is a city in Sedgwick and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,286. History Mulvane was laid out in 1879 at the junction of five Santa Fe rail lines. It is named for ...

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Muhammed Lawal Oklahoma State Cowboys Central Oklahoma Bronchos Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to Major League Wr ...

, Decision (split) ,

Bellator 134 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–9–2 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–9–2 , Eric Smith , TKO (knees and punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:35 ,

Southaven, Mississippi Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–9–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

Bellator 115 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight, ...

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Reno, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align= center, 20–8–2 , Peter Graham (fighter), Peter Graham , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–8–2 , Mark Godbeer , TKO (knees and punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:04 , Visalia, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–8–2 , Roy Nelson , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:03 , Newark, New Jersey, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–7–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Calgary, Alberta, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–7–2 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 , Saitama, Saitama, Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–6–2 , Pat Barry , KO (punch) , UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:39 , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 15–6–2 ,

, Draw (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 15–6–1 ,

, TKO (submission to elbows to the body) , UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:16 , Broomfield, Colorado, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6–1 ,

, Technical Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 , Memphis, Tennessee, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Cologne, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:29 , Montreal, Quebec, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–1 , Mostapha al-Turk , TKO (elbows and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4–1 , Dan Evensen , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 , Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Columbus, Ohio, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3–1 ,

, Decision (majority) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Manchester, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2–1 ,

, KO (knee) , UFC 62 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:51 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2–1 , Gilbert Aldana , TKO (doctor stoppage) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:13 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2–1 , Dave Dalgliesh , TKO (punches) , 2005 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Holland: Men of Honor, Rings Holland: Men of Honor , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A , Utrecht, Utrecht City, Utrecht , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2–1 , Gabor Nemeth , KO (punches) , King of the Ring: Mission Impossible , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A , Zagreb, Croatia , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , It's Showtime 2004 Amsterdam , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:40 , Amsterdam, Netherlands , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1–1 , Joop Kasteel , KO (punch) , 2004 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Holland: World's Greatest, RINGS Holland: World's Greatest , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:31 , Utrecht, Utrecht City, Utrecht , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1–1 , Dave Vader , Decision (unanimous) , 2003 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Holland: The Untouchables, RINGS Holland: The Untouchables , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:00 , Utrecht, Utrecht City, Utrecht , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1–1 , Hans Nijman , Submission (armbar) , It's Showtime 2003 Amsterdam , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 , Amsterdam, Netherlands , , - , Draw , align=center, 2–1–1 , Michael Knaap , Draw (unanimous) , It's Showtime – As Usual / Battle Time, It's Showtime: As Usual / Battle Time , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Haarlem, Haarlem, North Holland , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Rodney Glunder, Rodney Faverus , Decision (unanimous) , 2002 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Holland: Saved by the Bell, Rings Holland: Saved by the Bell , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Amsterdam, Netherlands , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Dave van der Veen , TKO (punches) , 2001 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Holland: Some Like It Hard, Rings Holland: Some Like It Hard , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:25 , Utrecht, Utrecht City, Utrecht , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , André Tete , Submission (heel hook) , 2001 in Fighting Network Rings#Rings Holland: No Guts, No Glory, Rings Holland: No Guts, No Glory , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:20 , Amsterdam, Netherlands ,

Kickboxing record (Incomplete)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kongo, Cheick 1975 births Living people French male kickboxers Heavyweight kickboxers French male mixed martial artists French mixed martial artists of Black African descent Heavyweight mixed martial artists French male karateka French kendoka French practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu French Muay Thai practitioners French savateurs French sportspeople of Burkinabé descent Sportspeople of Burkinabé descent French sportspeople of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent Sportspeople from Paris Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Bellator male fighters Mixed martial artists utilizing Kyokushin kaikan Mixed martial artists utilizing savate Mixed martial artists utilizing silat Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black French sportspeople

Early life

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Bellator MMA

Championships and achievements

Kickboxing

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Kickboxing record (Incomplete)

See also

References

External links