Cheick Kongo returns against Javy Ayala at Bellator 199 in San Jose

A heavyweight bout between Javy Ayala and Cheick Kongo has been added to May’s Bellator 199 lineup.

MMAjunkie today learned of the pairing between Ayala (10-6 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) and Kongo (27-10-2 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) from a Bellator official.

Bellator 199 will take place May 12 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Ayala vs. Kongo will air on the Paramount-televised main card following prelims on MMAjunkie. The matchup is not being labeled as an alternate contest for the ongoing Bellator heavyweight grand prix, however.

Ayala will get a notable name in the heavyweight division for a third consecutive fight at Bellator 199. Following a stunning 16-second knockout of Sergei Kharitonov, “Eye Candy” was set up as the debut opponent for promotional newcomer Roy Nelson at Bellator 183 in September. The fight did not go his way, though, and Ayala lost a unanimous decision to snap his two-fight winning streak.

He will attempt to get back on track against Kongo, who is the winningest heavyweight in Bellator history. The hulking Frenchman hasn’t stepped in the Bellator cage for nearly a year, but is riding a divisional-best five-fight winning streak with the promotion.

Kongo is 7-1 in his past eight Bellator appearances overall, with his lone blemish coming against “King Mo” Lawal in February 2015. Within his winning streak Kongo owns a unanimous decision victory over Alexander Volkov, who is No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings.

The latest Bellator 199 lineup includes:

• Ryan Bader vs. Muhammed Lawal – heavyweight grand prix opening round
• Paul Daley vs. Jon Fitch
• Javy Ayala vs. Cheick Kongo

For more on Bellator 199, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.