Kongo vs. Kharitonov, Borics vs. Wilson Top Bellator 265 Lineup on Aug. 20

A heavyweight showdown between Cheick Kongo and Sergei Kharitonov will serve as the main event for Bellator 265.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Tuesday. Bellator 265 takes place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 20 and will also see Adam Borics face Jay-Jay Wilson in a featherweight No. 1 contender bout in the evening’s co-headliner. The main card airs on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

After an eight-bout winning streak under the Bellator banner from June 2015 to February 2019, Kongo is winless in his last two promotional apppearances. A heavyweight title shot against Ryan Bader ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke at Bellator 226, and the 46-year-old Frenchman returned to drop a split verdict to Timothy Johnson in his most recent outing at Bellator 248 last October.

The 40-year-old Kharitonov will get back in the Bellator cage for the first time since November 2019, when he suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Linton Vassell at Bellator 234. Most recently, the Russian veteran scored a first-round knockout victory over Oli Thompson at Parus Fight Championship this past November.

Borics has won three straight fights since being submitted by Darrion Caldwell in the featherweight grand prix. The Hungarian is 17-1 as a professional, with wins over the likes of Pat Curran, Aaron Pico and Jeremy Kennedy.

New Zealand’s Wilson has been victorious in his first eight professional outings — including five within the California-based promotion. Most recently, he earned a second-round TKO of Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 257 on April 16.