Bellator 265 ‘Kongo vs. Kharitonov’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Kory Moegenburg (214.8) vs. Bailey Schoenfelder (224)

Round 1

Starting the Bellator card, we have a highly unusual 225 pound catchweight affair between Bailey Schoenfelder (1-0) and Kory Moegenburg (1-2). Keeping order between the pair will be referee Bobby Wombacher. Moegenburg begins with a couple of solid leg kicks and Schoenfelder isn't quite able to counter either time. Another leg kick is blocked, and Schoenfelder's right cross almost finds the mark. Moegenburg continues to fire leg kicks, but this time Schoenfelder checks them. Schoenfelder finally finds the mark with a right cross, as Moegenburg stays around the fence. Finally, Schoenfelder pasts Moegenburg with a few punches punctuated by an overhand right. Moegenburg stumbles forward, but Schoenfelder manages to push over his opponent onto the ground. Once there, Schoenfelder begins pounding away, and Moegenburg eventually gets him into side control. As Schoenfelder drops more ground-and-pound, Moegenburg doesn't give up and gets to half-guard. With relatively little activity, Schoenfelder stands all the way up, throwing the occasional testing punch from his feet. He eventually resettles back into half-guard, but is unsuccessful with further offense. He stands up again and quickly gets to side-control. He gets the crucifix for a short while and lands some short but weak punches before Moegenburg stops the blows. Schoenfelder keeps working and gets to the same position, pounding him with more short punches from crucifix. Moegenburg moves, but in the process, he gives up mount. Schoenfelder wisely stabilizes his position, and once firmly on top, he begins landing a storm of punches and brutal forearms. Moegenburger is largely defenseless here, absorbing blow after blow. The referee mercifully stops it. A very solid performance by Bailey Schoenfelder.

The Official Result

Bailey Schoenfelder def. Kory Moegenburg via TKO (Punches and Elbows) at 4:11 of Round 1

Deven Fisher (184.4) vs. Duane Johnson (185)

Round 1

Moving along, Duane "The Rock" Johnson (5-2) battles Deven Fisher (4-8) at middleweight. The third man in the cage will be referee Jason Herzog. Johnson fires off a head kick, but it's blocked, and a follow-up front kick is blocked, but gets Fisher next to the cage. Fisher fires off two powerful head kicks of his own, but Johnson blocks himself. They grapple, but soon disengage, with Fisher throwing a knee on the break. They engage again, and Johnson gets Fisher in a headlock. He starts setting up a brabo choke, and then snaps him down onto his back. He traps Fisher's left leg, and the brabo choke is fully secure. Fisher has no choice but to tap. Smooth, easy victory for Duane "The Rock" Johnson, who celebrates with a backflip off the cage.

The Official Result

Duane Johnson def. Deven Fisher via Submission (Brabo Choke) at 1:04 of Round 1

Archie Colgan (169) vs. Sidney Ben Simons (170.4)

Round 1

In the third fight of the night, prospect Archie Colgan (2-0) takes on Sidney Ben Simons (3-2), who is fighting for the first time since 2018. Large and imposing referee Mike Beltran will make sure they follow the rules. Simons starts with a leg kick, which Colgan partially dodges. A second leg kick hits nothing but air. Simons shoots a nice jab, though, which partially gets through Colgan's gloves. Colgan has had enough, shooting in, picking up Simons, and slamming him to the canvas. Simons is tough, though, and immediately tries to wall-walk against the cage. Colgan manages to secure his wrists, though, and gets him back down flat on his back. Colgan postures up in the guard, and then stands up entirely. He lands a few kicks to the grounded Simons' thighs. Suddenly, he steps to the side and lands a punch from the top. He is now in half-guard. Simons, however, soon retains full guard. Colgan is keeping busy, though, and lands a few punches. Colgan stands all the way back up again, and Simons connects with a nice upkick. Simons tries to stand up against the cage, but Colgan is all over him, working for a possible RNC. With half a round elapsed, Colgan drags Simons back down, landing a few punches in the process. Colgan spins around and takes the back, but soon gives it up to go to the mount, hammering Simons with hard elbows. Simons holds him close to stop the punishment, but Colgan stays calm. When Colgan postures up to throw more, Simons manages to get to side-control. Simons sets up a body-choke from the bottom, but Colgan stands up and slams him with authority to the canvas. Now in side-control and with Simons stunned, Colgan unleashes a tremendous whirlwind of punches and elbows, with most of them getting through. Simons is in serious trouble, briefly giving up his back, but continuing to eat big punches and elbows. Referee Mike Beltran has no choice but to halt the contest. Fantastic performance by Colgan!

The Official Result

Archie Colgan def. Sidney Ben Simons via TKO (Punches and Elbows) at 4:04 of Round 1

Mike Hamel (155.4) vs. Bryce Logan (155.8)

Round 1

Continuing on, tough Bellator veteran "Magic" Mike Hamel (7-5), who lost by split decision to the excellent Adam Borics, faces the solid Bryce Logan (12-5), who dropped a split decision to long-time Bellator contender Georgi Karakhanyan. Referee Bobby Wombacher will again oversee the action. They touch gloves and Hamel goes for a big overhand right that misses. After Logan misses a punch of his own, Hamel initiates a clinch and quickly gets a double-leg. Logan gets up almost immediately though, though Hamel is draped all over his back. They stall briefly against the cage, but Logan manages to get out and they are once again at range. Logan is circling on the outside, and a leg kick misses. Soon, though, Hamel shoots again, and gets another double-leg takedown. Yet again, Logan gets up immediately, as Hamel pushes him against the cage. Hamel briefly gets him down, but yet again, Logan posts back up. Logan turns around and gets free. Logan scores with a nice body kick, but this gives Hamel another chance to wrestle, and he chain-wrestles until Logan is back to the mat. Logan posts up, but now, Hamel takes his back, with one hook in. Against the cage, Hamel is threatening with a RNC with Logan fights hands. Finally, Logan manages to get back on his feet, as Hamel holds the back and lands several solid knees. They restart back in the center, with 2 minutes remaining in the round. Hamel ducks under a missed straight punch to shoot, and again gets a takedown. This time, Logan is more solidly on his back, perhaps tired from the breakneck pace and having stood up multiple times before. Hamel uses a wrestling ride as Logan starts getting back up. Hamel is trying to take the back, but the cage blocks him. He does, however, land a good knee to the head. Logan eventually pushes him off. Hamel lands a few jabs, and Logan partially scores with a cross. Hamel lands a body kick now, feeling confident. Hamel drops levels for a takedown, but Logan is ready now. Hamel partially sneaks through a head kick, feeling very confident. Logan throws a 1-2 that misses to end the round. 10-9 Hamel.

Round 2

Hamel immediately pounces forward, taking the center of the cage. They punch, but both miss. Hamel shoots for a double-leg again, but Logan manages to defend now, and soon disenages. Hamel throws a telegraphed overhand right that Logan blocks. Hamel throws a front kick to the body that is also blocked, as Logan is thinking mostly of defense. Hamel throws a 1-2 and the left cross lands flush. Logan is backing up before Hamel, who is feeling very confident, whether striking or grappling. Against the cage, he goes for another double-leg takedown. Logan briefly defends, but Hamel manages to lift him up and slam him. Logan again starts building his base back up against the cage, but Hamel has the back and is landing knees to the thighs. Logan stands, and Hamel lands a knee to the head. And then another one as Logan struggles to disengage again. Halfway through the round, and Hamel is firmly in control. Logan turns around, and soon after, pushes off to gain separation. Hamel throws another left cross but Logan dodges this one. Logan, however, is rarely throwing, only the occasional pawing jab. One such jab does land against Hamel, though. Logan misses a jab from southpaw and Hamel misses a hook. Suddenly, Hamel gets a little too confident and Logan lands a short left hook that stumbles Hamel. He quickly recovers, but that was easily the biggest blow of the stanza. Logan tries to get more offense, coming forward but missing a few straight punches. Logan partially lands a jab and then has a body kick just barely blocked. Difficult round to score thanks to Logan's late connect, but I still think Hamel did just enough. 10-9 Hamel.

Round 3

Hamel is bouncing on his feet, and throws a right hook that barely misses. Hamel changes levels to wrestle, but Logan sniffs it out and defends. Logan lands a nice uppercut as Hamel leans too far forward. Logan then lands a right cross after Hamel misses a punch, as he is doing much better now. Hamel throws a big body kick, but Logan sidesteps nicely. Logan lands a punch to the body, and a follow-up double-leg is defended. Logan scores on another straight to the head. However, as he is gaining more confidence, Logan clinches with him against the cage and gets the takedown. Logan turns around to build the base around the cage, but Hamel has his back. Ignoring this, Logan still wall-walks back up. Soon after, he disenages and we are back to the striking. Hamel partially gets a right hook through. He soon lands a nice leg kick. Both men land punches, and Hamel gets slightly the better o fit. Logan misses a jab and Hamel lands a knee to the body. Hamel returns to the grind, clinching, but it's a stalemate, and they soon push off one another. Logan lands a right cross to the body and dodges the hook that comes back. With a minute remaining, both men are tired but still throwing. Hamel lands a jab, but there is little power in it. Logan summons up his remaining energy and connects with a hard body kick. Hamel comes forward and lands a right hand. Another right hook partially connects, too. With 10 seconds left, Hamel shoots, but Logan is up to it and defends. Logan fires a series of straight punches to end the fight and a straight right finds the target. Very fun, entertaining bout. 10-9 Logan (29-28 Hamel).

The Official Result

Mike Hamel def. Bryce Logan via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Fabio Aguiar (184.6) vs. Taylor Johnson (185.8)

Round 1

Finishing up the prelims, DWTNCS veteran Taylor "Tombstone" Johnson (7-2), best known for a shocking upset of Ed Ruth via inverted heel hook, faces a stern test in Fabio Aguiar (17-2). Referee Jason Herzog receives the final preliminary assignment. Aguiar begins pumping out a jab, though none land. Johnson spins around on a missed leg kick. Aguiar partially connects on a jab as he barrels forward, perhaps looking for a takedown. Aguiar scores ona leg kick. Johnson scores on one of his own and then partially gets a head kick through that stuns Aguiar. Aguiar clinches, but Johnson works a guillotine choke. He forces Aguiar back and lands a couple of big knees to the Brazilian's head. Finally, Aguiar manages to get out agianst the cage, as Johnson continues pushing forward. Johnson lands a few knees to the thigh. Aguiar turns him around against the cage, and appears to have the better position, with Johnson lazily holding on to a whizzer. There is little activity besides a few small short punches by Johnson. Johnson tries to frame off, but Aguiar moves with him and keeps the clinch. Halfway through the round, and the pace has slowed. Johnson lands a few more short punches, some of them decent. Aguiar tries to force a takedown, but Johnson hits the whizzer. They both get up from their knees and resume clinching. They stay in this position for a while, but eventually, Johnson wins the underhook battle and spins him around. Suddenly, they break and Johnson lands a knee to the head and then throwing a head kick that is barely blocked. They separate, but not for long, as Aguiar clinches again. Johnson spins around nicely and again switches positions. Johnson workes for a leg-lock, and drops down in a bad position, with Aguiar in no position to be submitted, and on top. As Johnson wall-walks, Aguiar lands a few punches. Aguiar throws a head kick that partially gets through, but then Johnson counters with an even better one of his own that effects Aguiar. Johnson misses a wild overhand right haymaker as the round ends. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 2

Aguiar comes forward to begin the round, but it's Johnson who lands a jab. Aguiar misses a reaching right cross. Johnson circles on the outside well. A 1-2 by Aguiar just barely touches him, though. Johnson lands a huge leg kick that stumbles Aguiar as he retreats back. Aguiar lands a straight punch to the body. Aguiar clinches on the hips and Johnson lands several big elbows to the side of the head. Aguiar, however, does get Johnson to his knees. Johnson slowly works back up, as Aguiar clinches on to him. Aguiar takes him down, but his head is too low, as Johnson is sitting up above him. They stay in this stalemate position for a while, and Johnson manages to slide onto the back, looking for a possible crucifix. Aguiar tries to throw back elbows, but he can't get anything solid. Aguiar starts to turn into Johnson, but his left leg is stuck. He gets the leg out, but Johnson moves and still has Aguiar's back, albeit without any hooks. It's loose, and Aguiar turns into him, with Johnson having him in full guard. Aguiar lands a few small punches to the body, and Johnson lands a few short blows from his back. Aguiar lands a short forearm and a few punches to the body, though none of them are hard. Johnson lands a solid elbows from his back. Aguiar lands a few weak hammerfists. As the round ends, Aguiar lands a few more significant punches, but Johnson uses the opportunity to scramble to his feet. 10-9 Aguiar.

Round 3

They hug to begin the round, at Aguiar's insistence. Not a few seconds later, Johnson goes forward and lands a big right hand that gets Aguiar's attention. Aguiar recovers, and then, against the cage, lands a nice leg kick that causes Johnson to fall. Aguiar gets top position, but Johnson works up and uses a whizzer to get up. Suddenly, it's him pushing Aguiar and working for a takedown against the fence. He has the back as Aguiar himself rises. After the Brazilian does so, Johnson sells out for a single-leg attempt, but Aguiar pancake sprawls on him. Aguiar lands a few small punches to the body as they stalemate in the position. Johnson appears to clearly be tired, holding on to a single-leg while absorbing small blows. Halfway through the round, he tries to stand, but soon gets back down on his knees. Aguiar continues landing little, short blows. Aguiar gets a front headlock, and Johnson starts posting up from the canvas. Aguiar tries to turn, and Johnson is content to merely keep him in place. Aguiar continues punching to the body and head when he has a chance. Johnson tries to push through, but he is unsuccessful. Aguiar decides to move to the back, as Johnson stands up to the cage. Aguiar lands knees to the thighs, as he works for a takedown. Johnson does a Granby roll, going for Aguiar's feet, but Aguiar is wise to it, and he returns to the same headlock position, with Johnson grasping for a single-leg. He moves forward, but the Brazilian moves with him, keeping him there. As the fight ends, Aguiar opens up with a few more solid punches. A grueling, exhausting fight, and it appears that Aguiar has won a comeback triumph. 10-9 Aguiar (29-28 Aguiar).

The Official Result

Fabio Aguiar def. Taylor Johnson via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Keith Lee (140) vs. Jornel Lugo (137.4)

Round 1

Kicking off the main card, we have the lightest contest of the card, as Keith Lee (7-4), younger brother of the UFC's Kevin Lee, takes on undefeated Jornel Lugo (6-0) in a 140 pound catchweight contest. Referee Bobby Wombacher will be eyeing them closely. Lugo tests early with the jab, and Lee partially counters with one of his own. Lee throws a head kick, but Lugo is out of range. Lee throws a left hook, which Lugo blocks, but a little gets through. Lugo touches Lee with a jab twice in a row. Lee shoots, but Lugo easily stuffs him. Back at range, Lugo continues to work the jab, and then fires a nice, technical cross that partially gets through. Lugo lands a beautiful jab. Lee tries a right hook from southpaw and a haead kick, but they miss. Lugo lands a leg kick, and then a couple of nice jabs. Lee partially counters with an overhand right, however. Lee lands a leg kick, but then Lugo pops him with a jab three times in a row. Lugo now connects solidly on a jab to the body. Lee comes forward with punches, but Lugo easily retreats, with the punches only hitting air. Lee scores with an outside leg kick. Lugo continues to work his fine jab, and Lee has seemingly no response, with his counters falling short time and again. Suddenly, Lee comes forward, and Lugo drops him with a hard straight right. Lugo instantly goes for a brabo choke. Lee defends well, however, and the manages to scramble back up. Lugo continues jabbing, but Lee comes forward and partially lands an overhand right, perhaps his best of the round. Lugo switches to southpaw and blasts Lee with a hard right jab. Lee shoots for a takedown, but Lugo scrambles beautifully with it and takes Lee's back. He has a rear-naked choke fully locked in, but there are only a few seconds left in the round. As the round ends, Lee appears to go out. The bell rings, and Lee continues to lie unconscious on the floor. He wakes up after a few seconds and goes to his corner, but the ref correctly waves it off. Absolutely fantastic, dominant performance by Lugo. He looks like a possible future world champion.

The Official Result

Jornel Lugo def. Keith Lee via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 5:00 of Round 1

Marcelo Golm (252) vs. Billy Swanson (265.6)

Round 1

Right after the lightest fight, we have the heaviest, as UFC veteran Marcelo Golm (8-3), originally slated to face Kelvin Tiller, instead battles late replacement Billy "Big Sexy" Swanson (4-1), who just barely managed to make the heavyweight limit. Logically, keeping both men honest is equally big referee Mike Beltran. Swanson fires a leg kick but it misses. An overhand left partially connects by him, though. Golm gets a Thai clinch and he lands a knee followed by two right hands. Swanson partially lands one of his own on the break. Swanson lands 3 light leg kicks in a row, but Golm finally counters with a right hand. Golm scores with a leg kick of his own, and then, a right straight to the body. Swanson keeps firing kicks, but they lack power. A head kick misses by a foot. Golm lands a straight right ot the body. Swanson scores with a left cross to the chin, but it's light. Golm throws a series of 1-2s that hurts Swanson, and he has no choice but to clinch. Golm lands a huge knee to Swanson's body. The pace slows, as they both throw short punches, with Golm getting the better of the exchanges. Golm is keeping Swanson against the cage with just one overhook. Golm lands another big knee, this one closer to the chin. Swanson pushes him back into the center of the cage, and even lands a knee to the body of his own. Golm partially lands a nice 1-2 that draws appreciation from the crowd. Golm lands a series of right hands, as he tees off against Swanson against the cage. Golm oddly goes back into the clinch, despite how badly he is hurting Swanson at range. He does, however, record another knee to the body in the clinch, and soon after, another, this one even harder. Swanson prefers this position, though, as he isn't eating punches to the head. Golm lands a short elbow and then a powerful knee that blasts Swanson's head. Golm then disengages completely and throws a series of 1-2s that Swanson covers up against, but is still nailed by. Swanson is floored, as Golm swarms over him with punches. Mike Beltran calls the contest. Good win for Golm, showing improvement to his striking, and it will be interesting to see how he does in Bellator.

The Official Result

Marcelo Golm def. Billy Swanson via TKO (Knee and Punches) at 4:57 of Round 1

Dante Schiro (170) vs. Logan Storley (170.4)

Round 1

In the co-main event, one of the very best wrestlers in all of MMA, Logan Storley (11-1), whose lone blemish was a split decision loss to current Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov, looks to get back on track against Dante Schiro (8-2). Recognizing Storley's abilities, he is as much as a Kayla Harrisonesque -4000 favorite on some books. Looking closely at how much resistance Schiro will offer is Jason Herzog. Storley immediately dips down for a double-leg. He briefly lifts Schiro, Schiro seems to stabilize, but Storley chain-wrestles and snaps him down. That was quick! Schiro has an open full guard, but Storley is agile from the top. He seen manages to move to side-control, a position he loves to work. Schiro is tough and regains guard, before Storley moves to half-guard. They're jockeying for position like crazy. There has been relatively little struggling, although Storley lands a few short, small punches. Storley begins to posture up, but Schiro keeps a close grip on him. Schiro goes for the butterfly hooks, but Storley stays on top. Storley starts throwing right hands that land well to the body. Schiro continues spinning and gets full guard, landing an elbow from his back. Storley is working too, with a few more punches to the body and head. Storley then moves into half-guard. He postures up again, and lands a few short punches. Schiro regains full guard and lands a few slaps from his back. Storley continues to work the body a little. Storley goes back into the half-guard. If nothing else, Schiro has shown himself to be very tough and quite agile off his back. Storley tries to get into crucifix, and with his knee on Schiro's wrist, blasts him with the hardest punch of the round as the crowd cheers. Schiro soon regains full guard, though, and keeps working for butterfly hooks. Every attempt to elevate is blocked by Storley, who is presumably very heavy from the top. The round ends. 10-9 Storley.

Round 2

Storley fires a right cross, but it's merely a pretext for a clinch, as he pushes Schiro against the cage. He gets a neat inside trip, and while Schiro gets up instantly, he gets a nice waistlock now. Storley continues breaking down the base of Schiro, and slowly drags him to the bottom, controlling his hips well. Schiro tries to rise, but Storley switches to wrist-control. Schiro is tough, however, and does indeed wall-walk back up. Storley goes for a lateral drop, but Schiro blocks it. However, in the ensuing scramble, Storley is just too good, and gets Schiro on to his back. Storley finds himself back in half-guard now, trying to posture up. Storley postures all the way up, and Schiro tries to go for a heel hook. Storley gets out and immediately lands back on top of Schiro, now looking for a potential arm triangle. Schiro defends, however, and gets Storley back into full guard. The pace slows, as Storley lands a few punches to the body. Jason Herzog tries to stand them up with 20 seconds left, but struggles to get them to do so. Storley partially lands a right cross and Schiro partially connects with a body kick. 10-9 Storley.

Round 3

Storley scores with a leg kick to begin the final stanza. Schiro goes for a front-kick, but it misses. A body kick partially gets through, though. Schiro lands a leg kick soon after. A second one, however, is evaded by Storley, who retreats in time. An overhand right by Schiro is blocked by Storley. Storley shoots for a takedown, and then gets a nice pick-up and slam. Schiro gets back up almost instantly, however, and leans against the cage as Storley is draped all over him. Schiro manages to get to a neutral 50/50 position, with each man having an underhook apiece. A double-leg attempt by Storley is defended by Schiro. Storley works a single-leg, but Schiro has good balance, and Storley soon gives up on it. Midway through the round, and there is a relative stalemate in the action. Storley goes for a single-leg, and Schiro pushes forward, pancake sprawling on him. He postures up and lands a few elbows to the side of the head. Storley pushes and they rise against the cage, before going back to their knees. Rinse and repeat, as Storley pushes him into the cage again. They then jockey for position off the cage, as Storley is showing signs of fatigue. He goes for another single-leg, but Schiro again stays upright. With a minute left, Storley continues to grind against the cage. Schiro pushes off, but storley follows him and continues grabbing him. The crowd is booing as the fight winds down. As Storley desperately tries for a takedown, Schiro lands some nice elbows to the head. With a few seconds remaining, he gains some separation and lands a few solid punches. Impressive performance by Schiro, who won the last round against a -4000 favorite, but it wasn't enough. 10-9 Schiro (29-28 Storley).

The Official Result

Logan Storley def. Dante Schiro via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Cheick Kongo (247) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (264.8)

Round 1

In the main event, two heavyweights in their 40's with great careers clash, as former PRIDE contender Sergei Kharitonov (32-8) clashes with former UFC contender Cheick Kongo (30-11-2). As with the previous heavyweight match, this battle of the big men will rightly be reffed by Mike Beltran. Kharitonov immediately begins the fight with a jab, though it misses. He continues stalking Kongo with jabs, although the Frenchman avoids them. A Kharitonov jab to the body finally lands, as Kongo continues circling around the cage. A Kongo 1-2 misses. Kharitonov lands a leg kick and then, a jab to the body. Both men are testing the distance, and Kongo lands a jab of his own. Kharitonov lands a leg kick. Kongo lands a few jabs, Kharitonov lands a leg kick, and then Kongo lands a solid cross. No feeling-out process here. Kharitonov lands another leg kick. He then follows it up with another jab to the body. Kharitonov touches Kongo with a jab to the body, and then partially gets a cross to the head through. Kongo starts opening up, and lands several jabs, and then again the right cross. Kharitonov then comes forward and touches him with the cross. Kharitonov stalks Kongo against the cage and misses a jab. Kongo is trying to counter off the fence, but Kharitonov is avoiding most of his punches now, too. Kharitonov misses a few jabs, but Kongo's aren't quite connecting, either. Another Kharitonov leg kick lands, but it's not hard. After some more missed punches, Kharitonov goes back with another leg kick, this one harder. Kharitonov suddenly clips Kongo with a punch, and the Frenchman stumbles to his knees. He quickly recovers, though. Kharitonov continues stalking Kongo along the fence, and he lands a solid right hand that hurts Kongo. He then pops him with a hard jab. As the round ends, Kharitonov again hurts Kongo, this time with a head kick that might have hit Kongo's eye. Kharitonov follows it up with a series of hard punches as Kongo desperately covers up. 10-9 Kharitonov.

Round 2

Kharitonov lands a hard jab that causes Kongo to fall back into the cage. Not long after, he lands another jab that hurts the Frenchman. Kharitonov lands a right hand to the body. Suddenly, Kongo explodes forward with a knee to the body that gets Kharitonov's attention and causes him to retreat. Kharitonov recovers and begins picking Kongo apart, including a hard jab that makes Kongo clinch for dear life. Kharitonov defends the takedown and goes back to punishing Kongo. Kongo tries for a double-leg, but it's easily stuffed. Kharitonov is picking him off with the jab and occasional right cross now. Kongo isn't completely done, though, partially connecting with his own 1-2. Kharitonov is undeterred, landing a jab to the body, and then, the head. Kongo lands another nice knee to the body, but this one isn't as flush, and Kharitonov soon comes back with another hard jab. Kongo lands a hard jab of his own, but Kharitonov is simply throwing more, as another jab of his lands to the head. AKharitonov lands a hard jab to the body. Kongo goes back to the well with the knee, but this one is blocked. Suddenly, Kongo lands hard right cross that clearly hurts Kharitonov, who is now clearly hurt! Kharitonov stumbles to the fence, and Kongo throws powerful short right hands. Kharitonov seems to have recovered, but then Kongo blasts him with a powerful knee to the head. Kharitonov is looking to survive, and Kongo changes levels, and gets a double-leg takedown. Kharitonov is a turle off his back, as Kongo pounds away with punches, facing little resistance. Kharitonov has no choice but to turn his back, and Kongo uses the opportunity to lock in a tight rear-naked choke! The round is almost over, but with perhaps a second remaining, Kharitonov taps! What an incredible comeback win for Cheick Kongo. He was being badly dominated before he suddenly turned it around.

The Official Result

Cheick Kongo def. Sergei Kharitonov via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:59 of Round 2