Bellator 115 title challenger Cheick Kongo: I want to win the belt, and I will

Cheick Kongo has seen and done it all when it comes to the highest level of MMA competition. Well, everything except challenge for a world championship in a major organization.

Fortunately for the Frenchman, tonight he’ll be able to cross one more thing off his list of career accomplishments. Kongo (20-8-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is set to take on Bellator MMA heavyweight titleholder Vitaly Minakov (13-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in the Bellator 115 headliner.

The event takes place at Reno Events Center in Nevada. The main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

“I can’t wait to fight for the title,” Kongo told MMAjunkie. “I think it was good for me to come to Bellator. The tournament is great. You win and you move on and fight. You win, you get the chance to fight for the belt.”

There was a strong belief Kongo’s time as a relevant heavyweight was over following his departure from the UFC this past year. Given his age, number of fights and numerous injuries over the years, that notion didn’t seem entirely off base.

Kongo has proven his naysayers wrong, though, and believes Bellator has put him in a position to excel in a way he couldn’t under the UFC banner at this point in his career.

“It’s good for me – I’m very happy,” Kongo said. “I’m happy they’ve given me the opportunity to get better, to be a better fighter and a champion.”

With that in mind, Kongo will need to be at his best if he hopes to take the Bellator title from Minakov. The Russian is undefeated. But he hasn’t faced anyone with a track record like Kongo’s.

Kongo has spent the majority of the past decade fighting names like current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, Travis Browne, Mark Hunt, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson.

That type of experience is not something that can be measured when it comes to how a fight will play out, but Kongo has a hard time believing his time in the cage with world-class competitors won’t be beneficial.

“I’ve fought UFC fighters and some of the best coming from the UFC,” Kongo said. “All of my previous experience will help me in the fight and hopefully it will help me bring the victory on Friday.”

Winning the Bellator title would be a marquee moment for Kongo’s career, but not one that he would consider going out on. Despite the fact most professional athletes hope to retire on a high, the 38-year-old Kongo believes he still has several years left to give in the sport.

“If I could keep fighting for life, for sure I would,” Kongo said. “I will turn 40 in a couple of years and then maybe I will stop, but for sure right now at least two more years. Two more years for sure.”

With thoughts of retirement pushed to the back of his mind, Kongo is focused on defeating Minakov. After picking up two quality wins to start his Bellator career, Kongo would hate to have to go to the back of the line and work through another tournament for a rematch.

Another tournament run would require a lot of effort, which is exactly why Kongo intends on making the most out of the opportunity sitting directly in front of him.

“I have to make sure I didn’t win the tournament for nothing,” Kongo said. “Everyone who wins the tournament and fights for the title, they have to prove to themselves that it was worth it.

“I won the tournament, now I need to get the belt – that’s my state of mind. I don’t want to just fight for the belt. I want to win the belt, and I will.”

For more on Bellator 115, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.