Bellator Signs Cheick Kongo, UFC Vet to Compete in Upcoming Tourney
By FCF Staff
Bellator MMA has added another UFC vet and established fighter to its roster, as the promotion has announced that Cheick Kongo has signed with the Viacom property. The news comes several weeks after premature reports surfaced stating Kongo had already signed with Bellator.
The 38 year-old Kongo will compete in Bellator’s Season Nine heavyweight tournament, however, no details as to when Kongo will make his promotional debut were announced.
“After my contract was up in the UFC, I really wanted to take some time and reflect on everything,” Kongo said in the announcement. “After talking to the people around me, especially someone like my longtime friend in Rampage, he told me how well Bellator has been treating him and what we can do with Bellator, and after getting to know Bjorn Rebney, it just seemed like the right fit for me. I know I have plenty of fight left in me, and my fight in October is the first step to getting that Bellator Heavyweight Title.”
“My fans mean the world to me, and I want to show them what I am capable of every time I go out and fight,” Kongo stated. “I always want to deliver a good show to whoever is watching, and that won’t change in Bellator.”
Kongo concluded his UFC contract in April after he was knocked out by Roy Nelson at UFC 159. The French fighter went 11-6-1 during his extensive run with the UFC.