Cheick Kono will be rematching Ryan Bader in the Bellator heavyweight title fight. It’s a match that can’t come soon enough, regardless of what some people say about it.
Bader will be challenged by
Kongo for the title of Bellator Paris. The event takes place at Accor Arena in May 6. The bout was announced immediately following Bader’s successful title defense against Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 273 this past month.
The pair first met at Bellator 226 September 2019,. After Bader’s eye poke, the fight ended with a draw. It was a night Kongo has been thinking about ever since, and following his crazy submission win over Sergei Kharitonov this past August at Bellator 265, he’ll get his chance to right the wrong.
“He fled [to light heavyweight] because he was a coward,” Kongo said to MMA Fighting. “People are gonna be haters and say, ‘Oh, that’s not true,’ but yeah, he ran away as a coward. He always opens his mouth. Because he is supported, he talks a lot of sh*t. But remember how he talked sh*t at the UFC? He got shut down right away. He talked sh*t with Daniel Cormier, and Daniel Cormier shut him down, ‘Go f*ck yourself.’ And after that, he would get quiet like a f*cking kid.
“Even if his team want to be the men because we are here in America, and even though the fight is happening in France, as a fighter I’m gonna f*ck him up. I’m gonna shut his f*cking mouth.”
Check out this fiery exclusive interview with Mike Heck, Kongo reveals when he was made aware he was getting the fight prior to the announcement at Bellator 273 and it taking place in Paris, talks what he thought of Bader’s win over Valentin Moldavsky, the bad blood between he and Bader, his side of the eye poke that stopped their first meeting, fans wanting Fedor Emelianenko to get the shot over him, and more — which you can watch in the video above.
