At Bellator 199, heavyweight Javy Ayala will be fighting another legend of the division, something that still amazes him from time to time.
Bellator 199 might be topped by a World Heavyweight Grand Prix fight featuring a pair of fighters best known as light heavyweights, but there is a true heavyweight rumble on the card. That will come when Javy Ayala, who has been booked against some of the heavyweight division’s best of late, welcomes Cheick Kongo back to the cage.
Originally, the pair were announced by Bellator CEO Scott Coker as alternates for the heavyweight grand prix. Though Coker was mum on whether they would fight each other or not, the promotion paired them up. The alternate label, however, has fallen to Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Cro-Cop at Bellator 200. So exactly where Kongo and Ayala fit remains to be seen. That said, speaking to Cageside Press, Javy Ayala told us that “at this point, as far as my knowledge, this is a standalone heavyweight bout. I haven’t heard anymore about an alternate position or anything else. As of right now, I’m excited just to get back in the cage and put on a show for the fans.”
Like everyone else, Ayala hasn’t heard much more on the topic. ‘Eye Candy’ is simply focused on getting back in the cage, with another big name. It’s Kongo this time out; previously, he was paired up with Sergei Kharitonov and Roy Nelson. Though he dropped a decision to ‘Big Country,’ it was Ayala’s blistering KO of Kharitonov that put him on the map. And either way, getting booked into these marquee bouts has “definitely put my name out a lot more.”
“I’ve gained more fans, especially after the last two fights, with Sergei and the one with Roy,” Ayala told us.
Ayala admitted that the rogue’s gallery he’s faced of late is an incredible turn of events. “Every time I think about it,” he told us, “it’s like man, these guys — I’ve watched them for a long time, from when I first started doing MMA. These guys have done it for so long, and they’re so good, it just amazes me now that I’m competing against them.”
It’s Cheick Kongo he’ll be competing against next, a Kongo who has experienced something of a late career resurgence in Bellator, even challenging for the promotion’s heavyweight crown. However, Kongo has been out of action nearly a year, which could give Ayala the edge. “I’m a big believer in ring rust,” he said on the subject. “I had a fight, I think it was like five fights back, where I took a year off. It really effected me. I don’t know how it’s going to effect him, but I feel like it plays a factor.”
Another factor will be modern-day Cheick Kongo’s reliance on grappling. Something Ayala has anticipated. “We started adding in a lot more takedown defense, a lot more getting up, using the cage, getting up off my back,” Ayala told us in regards to prepping for the French heavyweight. “A lot more submissions from my back just in case. If that’s where the fight goes, I’m well prepared. We’ve done the same camp [as usual] with my striking, my striking is exactly where I need it to be.”
If you want to know Javy Ayala’s take on how his fight against Kongo goes at Bellator 199, “I see one of us getting knocked out. Either I’m going to knock him out, or he’s going to knock me out.” Ultimately he’s predicting a great fight for the fans.
As for the main event, that Bellator World Heavyweight Grand Prix bout between Ryan Bader and King Mo, Ayala is giving Bader the nod. “King Mo’s tough, I like him a lot. But Bader’s just… I think he’s going to be too big, too strong, his wrestling’s good.” Though he admitted that the headliner could go either way.
And despite losing his slot in the heavyweight GP to a light heavyweight (at least in theory), there’s no hard feelings. Though at first, that might not have been the case, “but I realized ‘you know what, these guys have a bigger name, they have a big fan base.’ I’m okay with it, they put on exciting fights because they’re pretty much all legends. I’m just excited to be part of the organization and getting these big name fights.”
If all goes well against Kongo, there’s a few other names in the division Ayala would love. Though in the end, he’s open to fighting anyone in the weight class. “There’s plenty of guys. Of course I’d love to fight Frank Mir, I’ve always been a big fan of him,” Ayala told us. “Fedor, a lot of guys in the tournament. Me and Justin Wren would make a good, exciting fight. Pretty much anybody in the heavyweight division right now would make an exciting fight.”
In the meantime, there’s no pressure to go out and have another Kharitonov moment for Javy Ayala. “I don’t feel any pressure to go out there and knock Cheick out like I did with Sergei,” he explained. “If it happens, it happens, I’ll be excited for it. But there’s no pressure, I’m going to go out there and do my game, do me, and hopefully I do get a knockout.”
We’ll know soon enough — catch Javy Ayala taking on Cheick Kongo on Saturday, May 12 on the Bellator 199 main card in San Jose, CA. The event airs live on the Paramount Network starting at 9PM ET.
