UFC 159's Cheick Kongo takes 'skinny and small' mental approach for Roy Nelson

NEW YORK – Cheick Kongo isn’t a small man, but before every fight, he imagines himself as one.

The UFC heavyweight, who’s more gentle giant than towering bruiser, said it’s his way of rising to a challenge before he gets into the cage. When he finds out his next opponent, he quite literally convinces himself he’s of inferior stature.

“It’s something weird, but when I see my opponent, I always see myself really skinny and small,” Kongo (18-7-2 MMA, 11-5-1 UFC) told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Watching previous footage of Roy Nelson (18-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC), whom he faces on the pay-per-view main card of Saturday’s UFC 159 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., he concluded the matchup wasn’t a fair fight.

“The guy’s huge,” Kongo said.

He’s got a point. Despite slimming down in the past year, Nelson’s round belly remains a defining feature (not to mention a charming one to his fans). It’s also proved to be a great weapon against strikers who find themselves under him.

So Kongo began the process of putting himself in what he calls his “the mental compartment” for getting psyched up for their fight, which was originally scheduled to take place at UFC 116 before he bowed out with a back injury.

Nelson not only has black-belt level Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but has a penchant for knocking his opponents senseless. He’s stopped his past two with his fists.

A win over “Big Country” would be a needed career boost for Kongo. Despite his 3-1-1 record since his injury layoff, he is still struggling to shrug off a reputation as a tough gatekeeper. In his most recent outing at UFC 149, Kongo won a decision over Shawn Jordan that was universally panned for its lack of action.

Kongo, though, said he doesn’t get his motivation from critics.  

“I could be upset about what people say about my case, but I just try to do my best,” he said. “To think, ‘OK, you are the underdog, can you win the fight?’ I don’t pay attention. The thing is just to stay in the top 10 and try to beat the next contenders.”

After taking several fights nursing injuries or on short notice, Kongo said he’s worked hard to draw boundaries so he can get a full training camp and study his opponents like other top fighters.

He’s also made an effort to stop stressing out about what opponents will do for his career. Instead, he brings himself up to their level.

First, that process takes place in his mind. But Kongo hopes he’ll be the bigger man on Saturday night.

“I’m a big dude, but I just try to be little,” he said. I try to be treated like normal people.”

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