» Fighter: Cheick Kongo

UFC’s Versus debut March 21 north of Denver will feature a heavyweight slugger matchup between Cheick Kongo (14-6-1) and “Head Hunter” Paul Buentello (25-11).

Read More About Fists Will Fly! Cheick Kongo Versus Paul Buentello at UFC on Versus…

Both Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) and ninth-ranked “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) won at M-1 Global/Strikeforce in Chicago November 7 and now the top ten heavyweights seem on a collision course for a matchup versus each other.  But will it be for the Strikeforce title or not?

Read More About Fighters.com November Heavyweight Rankings – M-1 Global/Strikeforce Surge Ahead as UFC Heavyweights Wither…

UFC lightweight champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1) will defend his title from “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2) at UFC 107 at the FedExForum in Memphis December 12, the UFC officially announced Tuesday.

Read More About UFC 107 Confirmed For Memphis, BJ Penn Versus Diego Sanchez to Headline…

“Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) entered his 15th month as Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion in October.  Emelianenko will defend his title versus fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0) at Strikeforce west of Chicago and broadcast in the U.S. on CBS November 7.

Read More About Fighters.com October Heavyweight Rankings…

On the walls of MMA fandom there are two contrasting posters of Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1).

If you’re not North American or you’re one of the 50,000 or so North Americans who plunked down $34.95 for PRIDE 32, your poster depicts Emelianenko within a golden aureole striding a mound of pummeled flesh bags that includes fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1), tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7), and former UFC heavyweight champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6).

If you’re North American and cut your MMA teeth on The Ultimate Fighter circa 2007 or anxiously anticipating the first F5 stoppage in MMA history, your poster depicts Emelianenko cowering within the block-headed shadow of the man-mountain that is second-ranked UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1).

Read More About MMA Is Strictly Business for Fedor Emelianenko – Fighters.com’s September Heavyweight Rankings…

In an analysis posted Friday, Yahoo!Sports MMA and boxing writer Kevin Iole spouted the UFC line, “If the UFC was in the business of giving 50 percent of its company away every time it tried to sign an elite fighter, it would have been in worse shape a lot sooner than Chrysler.” The article should’ve ended with a full disclusore that Yahoo!Sports and the UFC have a business partnership because Iole’s cozy nest in the UFC tree has affected his usually uncomprimised reporting.

M-1 Global isn’t asking for 50 percent of the UFC in exchange for Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko’s (29-1) viscerally craved debut inside the Octagon.

Fighters.com isn’t sure whether that’s UFC spin strategized to pressure Emelianenko to surrender his co-promotion demand by persuading fans he’s unreasonable or a genuine misunderstanding by White about what Emelianenko is demanding.

Read More About Fighters.com’s August Heavyweight Rankings: UFC Dishonest About Fedor Emelianenko’s Demands…

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (12-4) and Frenchman Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) will fight at UFC 107 in Memphis 12 December, a source close to Kongo confirmed to Fighters.com Thursday evening.

The UFC has not confirmed the matchup.

Mir took a beating from UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas 11 July, but had been on a three-fight win streak that included a tapout of Lesnar.

Read More About UFC 107 Will Feature Frank Mir v Cheick Kongo Heavyweight Matchup…

The UFC officially announced Thursday the rest of the line-up for UFC 92, which takes place 27 December in Las Vegas.

French heavyweight Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) will meet UFC newcomer Mustapha al Turk (1-0), “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) will meet Reese Andy (7-2) in a light heavyweight bout.

Other bouts announced were “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (15-8) versus “Bad” Brad Blackburn (12-9-1), Antoni Hardonk (7-4) versus Mark Burch (10-2), and Dan Evensen (10-5) versus Pat Barry (1-0).

Read More About UFC 92 Card Official; Kongo, Hamill, and Chonan to Fight…

UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) has followed his training partner under Juanito Ibarra, Fighters.com’s top light heavyweight contender “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7), to the Wolfslair in Widnes, southeast of Liverpool, according to Eurosport.

Jackson had joined the Wolfslair two-weeks prior, after parting with Ibarra upon losing his UFC and Fighters.com titles to Forrest Griffin (16-4) in Las Vegas 5 July.

“[Kongo] was having some problems negotiating his new contract with the UFC and was looking for somewhere to train so it was an easy decision for him to join his mates,” said Wolfslair co-owner Anthony McGann.

Read More About Kongo Follows Jackson to Wolfslair…

Elusive Russian Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) breached Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Top Ten in September without having fought for a year.

Kharitonov TKO’d “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (28-11) in Yokohama in September 2007; but, has been more active on the rumor mill than in the ring since.

He was floated as “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic’s (23-6-2) opponent at DREAM.4 in June and lately was mentioned as a challenger for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship versus “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (11-1).

Kharitonov found his way into neither fight and may have a short stint as a top ten big boy as fighters beneath him line-up legit matches.

A spot opened for Kharitonov when “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-14) was mauled by physical phenom Brock Lesnar (2-1) in Minneapolis 9 August, shoveling Herring out of the eighth rank.

Read More About Fighters.com’s September Heavyweight Rankings…