Cheick Kongo has been a professional mixed martial artist for more than 19 years.
But when he steps into the cage Oct. 10, he’ll do something he’s never done before. He’ll fight in his home country, France, when he takes on Timothy Johnson at Bellator 248 in a rematch of their September 2018 fight.
The event will take place at Accor Arena in Paris. The promotion announced the news Friday, alongside a pairing between welterweights Michael Page and Ross Houston. A news release from Bellator said a limited number of fans will be allowed inside Accor Arena for the event. Tickets go on sale Tuesday.
Although the promo poster released by the promotion does not indicate Kongo vs. Johnson will serve as the main event, it is likely to be announced as the headliner during an announcement scheduled by Bellator president Scott Coker later Friday.
In January 2020, France legalized mixed martial arts for the first time, making it a target for Bellator. As soon as France passed legislation to allow for MMA, Coker issued a statement expressing his enthusiasm.
“This is a monumental moment in the history of the sport, as well as our organization, and I am honored that Bellator will promote the very first MMA event in France by a major promotion,” Coker stated. “Many people have worked tirelessly to bring this to fruition, and it would not have been possible without the support of the Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, as well as the French Kickboxing Federation sanctioning body. I would also like to thank Accor Arena, who have been an incredible venue partner, and I cannot wait for the French fans to be in attendance and join us live for what will be an unforgettable night of action in Paris on Oct 10.”
Kongo (30-12-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) and Johnson (14-6 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) have their rematch 26 months after their first fight. In their initial meeting, Kongo knocked out Johnson in 68 seconds.
Since then, Kongo has fought twice, picking up a win against Vitaly Minakov before a no contest due to an eye poke against Ryan Bader. He has not competed since September 2019.
Ten months after the Kongo fight, Johnson was knocked out by Vitaly Minakov. However, he turned his losing skid around in his next fight, flattening then-undefeated prospect Tyrell Fortune in one of the promotion’s biggest betting upsets. In his most recent fight in August, Johnson defeated Matt Mitrione by first-round TKO.
Cheick Kongo to fight on Bellator’s first event in France, rematch Timothy Johnson
