One of Bellator’s most recognizable heavyweights was set to return this Friday at Bellator 265.
Cheick Kongo last fought in November, losing at home in Paris to Tim Johnson, who would go on to fight for interim gold in the promotion. Now, for his first fight of 2021, the 46-year old heavyweight was booked opposite a fellow veteran of the sport in Sergei Kharitonov.
Kharitonov was stepping into the Bellator cage for the first time since 2019, after winning two fights outside the promotion during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. At 41, the Russian was the younger fighter in this hard-hitting affair.
The co-main event at Bellator 265 was unquestionably the more relevant fight. Adam Borics and Jay Jay Wilson were set to throw down in a featherweight fight, announced as a bonafide title eliminator for the 145lb weight class.
Of course, new champ A.J. McKee’s next move was still anybody’s guess.
Weigh-ins for Bellator 265, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, took place Thursday. Results can be found below.
One fighter of note came in heavy on Thursday. Co-main event featherweight Jay Jay Wilson has once again missed weight, by 4.4lbs for what was supposed to be a title eliminator.
Bellator 265: Kongo vs. Kharitonov Weigh-In Results
Main Card
Heavyweight: Sergei Kharitonov (264.8) vs. Cheick Kongo (247)
Featherweight: Ádám Borics (145.6) vs. Jay Jay Wilson (150.4)*
Welterweight: Logan Storley (170.4) vs. Dante Schiro (170)
Heavyweight: Billy Swanson (265.6) vs. Marcelo Golm (252)
Catchweight (140lbs): Keith Lee (140) vs. Jornel Lugo (137.4)
Preliminary card
Middleweight: Taylor Johnson (185.8) vs. Fabio Aguiar (184.6)
Lightweight: Mike Hamel (155.4) vs. Bryce Logan (155.8)
Welterweight: Archie Colgan (169) vs. Ben Simons (170.4)
Middleweight: Duane Johnson (185) vs. Deven Fisher (184.4)
Catchweight (225lbs): Bailey Schoenfelder (224) vs. Kory Moegenburg (214.8)
* Wilson misses weight by 4.4lbs for what was to be a featherweight title eliminator
