Cheick Kongo Interview

Irish Whip Fighting recently spoke by email with UFC heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo. Kongo commented on everything including Mirko Cro Cop, the steroid controversy, and training with current UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson. (Originally conducted for MMAMadness.com)

Irish Whip Fighting: What do you think about Randy Couture leaving the UFC?
Cheick Kongo: I have no idea. He’s a big man in the sport and we must respect his decision. I’m furious though because I can’t get a fight against him. He’s still a real man with a big heart.

IWF: How do you think that you would've matched up against him?
Kongo: It would’ve been a great and tough fight between two men in the Octagon.

IWF: You're 4-1 in the UFC. What do you attribute this success to?
Kongo: The success comes from all of my training partners: French Team, Bonnel Remy in Miami, The Rampage Camp, Juanito [Ibarra], Quinton Jackson, my family, and many more supporters.

IWF: Your one loss was a split decision to Carmelo Marrero. Did you think you won the fight and would you ever accept a rematch?
Kongo: Yes, I did win this fight and I don’t care now. I made this in really bad and unhealthy conditions. I don’t know if we will make the rematch, but he’s got no chance if he agrees.

IWF: People have said that your ground game needs work. How are you working to improve it?
Kongo: I got nothing to prove. All those who know me know I’m a great wrestler. I’m not BJJ but I’m great.

IWF: Do you think that the people who criticize you like this are justified?
Kongo: Nobody knows me like my training partners and my coach, so shut up! Hahaha!

IWF: What did beating Cro Cop do for your confidence as a fighter?
Kongo: I’m a fighter with a tougher mind and more quality of fighting. I’m not just a bag for people to strike.

IWF: Why do you think that PRIDE fighters are having such a tough time transitioning into the UFC? Is it the ring/cage factor, superior talent, or something else altogether?
Kongo: The truth is elsewhere.

IWF: Can you confirm the rumored fight between you and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira?
Kongo: I will confirm this when I got the contract signed…lol…be patient.

IWF: Where do you rank yourself among the heavyweights?
Kongo: Sincerely, I don’t know and I don’t care. I just want to take the UFC belt.

IWF: What's it like training with Rampage and Bisping?
Kongo: AWESOME!!! Nothing more…maybe amusing.

IWF: Did you see the Bisping-Hamill fight? What did you think of the scoring?
Kongo: You got the score. I have nothing more to say.

IWF: More and more fighters are getting caught with steroids lately. Why do fighters take them if they know they'll probably get caught?
Kongo: These kinds of fighters aren’t the real fighters or real men. This kind of product hurts their body and many fighters think that they can be better than their opponents [if they use steroids]. Bullshit…no guts, no glory.

IWF: Can you give us your opinion on the following fights and comment on each? Fedor vs. Couture?
Kongo: This would be an AWESOME fight, Couture is the winner.

IWF: Wanderlei vs. Chuck?
Kongo: STRIKING FORCE. Chuck is the winner.

IWF: Well thanks for taking the time to do this -- we really appreciate it.
Kongo: Thank you too.

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Nogueira-Kongo Bumped To Early 08

The winner of the Nogueira-Kongo fight is no longer in line for a title shot, as it's been bumped to early next year, but whoever leaves victorious should be guaranteed a shot down the line. Here's why:

With Sylvia-Vera now the only real HW bout in the upcoming months, it's more than expected that the winner will take on Randy Couture early next year at UFC 81 or those whereabouts. For Vera, it would be a long time coming and could represent the passing of the torch from one marketable HW to another. If Sylvia gets the shot, it would represent the rematch clause in his contract. Either way, this seems like the only viable option.

But who gets the winner of the Couture-Vera/Sylvia fight? For rest periods to coincide, the new #1 contender bout (after Sylvia-Vera) would have to take place early next year. Enter: Nogueira-Kongo. Initially scheduled to go down at UFC 79 in December, the fight has been bumped. It's not clear why, but it does provide perfect timing for both these competitors. The booking of Nogueira-Kongo at the same time of Couture's next fight means two big things, other than the fact that the winner will most likely get a shot at the gold.

For Nogueira, it means that the UFC has finally committed to pushing him. He's widely recognized as the #2 HW in the world, but due to his inability to speak English and lackluster win over Heath Herring a few months ago, fan support (and thus, Dana White support) has dwindled. This match up with Kongo, especially with its scheduled date, is a vote of confidence unlike any Nogueira has seen before.

For Kongo, it means that the dream has been realized. Following a massacre of Cro Cop, Kongo now finds himself one win away from a title shot with one of the greatest champions of all time. The UFC will be more than willing to throw it's support behind a young, jacked, charismatic Kongo. Ideally, Kongo-Vera will be the HW battle that UFC execs are looking to see blossom over the next four years.

So, we wait. But with our patience comes the reality that the UFC HW division is shaping up to be stacked after all. It's in a much different manner than was expected (no superfights between CC and Couture), but it should prove to be just as entertaining with a large group of fighters who all deserve to be there.

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Around The Horn

Match booking was the name of the game this weekend, as some blockbusters (and equally spectacular surprises) were made official.

FOXSports has the Nogueira-Kongo bout, first scheduled to take place at UFC 79, now happening in "early 2008," according to Dave Meltzer. This fantastic match (and potential #1 contender fight) should be one of the bigger wars we've seen in years. It features one of the true veterans of the sport against the HWs newest star. I know it seems as though the division has a new star every week (Gabriel who?), but Kongo is LEGIT.

Matt Hammil is "in shock" (read: furious) with the Evans-Bisping booking at UFC 78. I can't really understand it either, considering that Rashad Evans-Tito Ortiz and Michael Bisping-Matt Hammil were probably the two most unresolved bouts of the year, but Joe Silva knows what he's doing.

In my most disappointing moment of the weekend, the Kimbo-Tank fight, to be held at Cage Fury 6, has been canceled. I don't know quite what to make of this, considering Tank hasn't fought a meaningful bout in ten years and Kimbo is only a few years removed (okay, a few days) from fighting on the streets of Florida, but it is disappointing nonetheless.

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Kongo and Hamill look to defy Cro Cop and Bisping at UFC 75

With UFC 75 being polished for delivery, it is easy to forget the historic Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Dan Henderson title unification bout is not the only fight on the card. Mirko Cro Cop looks to use Cheick Kongo as a Gabriel Gonzaga stand in, while Matt Hamill sets out to prove he would have won season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter. Get in-depth now!

Quinton Jackson battles Dan Henderson to unify the UFC and Pride 205 titles on September 8, 2007 in London, England. The magnetism of what could be mixed martial arts’ most important fight in history is well deserved. There is, however, an undercard that requires attention.

Mirko Cro Cop was once known as MMA’s stand-up fighting version of fear. After capturing Pride’s 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix Champion, the Croatian left behind Japan’s honored war zone for the rabid arenas of the UFC.

The structural change of the fighting arena, which Crocop failed to train for, caught up with him in the form of severe underdog and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Gabriel Gonzaga.

“Napao” knocked out Cro Cop with a head kick eerily familiar to the highlights Cro Cop reeled off in Pride.

Cro Cop’s upcoming UFC 75 showdown with Cheick Kongo relies entirely on his mental state. Is the sound of fury that sent him terrorizing Pride’s ranks after an upset loss to Kevin Randleman in 2005 ringing again?

Cro Cop has expressed desire to retire, but his fighting future should not factor into the Kongo equation. The thirty-two-year old cannot look past his opponent with lackadaisical training and/or a tentative performance that typically characterize his losses.

He appears to be rededicated. He bought a cage. He is training in real jiu-jitsu (as opposed to submission defense) with one of the world’s best in Dean Lister. In addition, he added Gilbert Yvel and Remy Bonjaski to prepare his striking for the Thai boxer.

As Cro Cop has said himself, no one can beat him if he comes forward.

The trouble is Kongo will come forward. The mammoth stalks opponents and can send fighters reeling along with strong hands and sharp knees. His key to victory is to close the distance against the superior striker, negating Cro Cop’s NASCAR-fast precision leg kicks. Training with Juanito Ibarra and an array of top fighters in that camp, Kongo will elevate his game and look far better than he did in his impressive defeat of Assuerio Silva.

While both fighters are improving their groundwork, no one is likely to take it to the ground. This will be a stand-up fight.

Cro Cop must be violent grace under pressure against Kongo’s assault. A win for the Frenchman would thrust him into the title picture. A loss for Cro Cop will regale him to unjust criticisms of being a “has been” and a “never was” and to the backseat of the UFC’s heavyweight division. Given years of fighting elite competition, Crocop should be fear incarnate again, however, do not believe victory a certainty. That is certain defeat.

A light heavyweight showdown between Michael Bisping and Matt Hamill can be billed as The Ultimate Fighter season 3 Finale that never happened.

This fight has compelling implications of the participant’s future. A hearty Hamill can be an early awakening for the undersized Wolfslair Gym star. While “The Hammer” lacks experience, wrestling is the one discipline that can grind out an MMA win without a full arsenal of martial weapons. If he can suffocate a win out of “The Count,” it lends weight to Tito Ortiz’s prodigious image of the physically impaired fighter.

Top-flight training makes the difference in this bout. England’s favorite son has been sparring with Quinton Jackson and the mastermind behind “Rampage,” Juanito Ibarro. Bisping can submit, pound out, or knockout the Ohio native. Hamill only has the option of a decision victory unless he can summon Sobral-Heath-esque ground and pound to demoralize the gritty Brit to a technical knockout.

Kongo and Hamill are the unanimous underdogs, but MMA is exciting because stacked odds are often caught in swirling winds.

*By Danny Acosta

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UFC 75 to Air FREE on Spike TV!

So it looks like UFC president Dana White isn't as Satanic as he makes himself seem, he can do us some good deeds from time to time. White recently announced that UFC's next "stacked" card, UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion, will be aired for FREE on Spike TV via tape delay, as UFC 70 was.

Spike TV will be airing UFC 75: Champion vs. Champion, scheduled for September 8 from the O2 Arena in London, English, free of charge at 9 P.M. E/T via tape delay.

Official word and specifics regarding the free airing of UFC 75 can be found in this press release issued by the UFC.

Last time a major UFC event was aired on television was of course UFC 70: Nations Collide in Manchester, England, where we all got to see Mirko "Cro Cop's" head ripped off my Gonzaga's foot.

Nonetheless, we're going to get to see yet another UFC event without having to dish out fifty big ones. The card's main event includes a light heavyweight title fight with UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and PRIDE's welterweight and middleweight champ Dan "Hollywood" Henderson.

Mirko "Cro Cop" will also be facing Cheick Kongo, let's just hope he comes serious this time. The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight winner Michael Bisping will also be joining the card as he is set to face off against former castmate Matt Hamill.

And just to remind you, the Jackson-Henderson main event will in fact be the first ever title unification bout, which was confirmed earlier this month.

I can't wait for this fight, I'll just have to keep myself from checking the live play-by-play's this time around!

Thank you Mr. White for this. :)

The Lianger

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UFC 75: Official Updates

Dana White was featured on ESPN's "Hot List" yesterday and confirmed the rumors about Cro Cop facing Cheick Kongo at UFC 75.

UFC 75: "Champion vs. Champion" is set to take place back in England, where the Croatian Sensation Mirko "Cro Cop" suffered his most recent and devastating knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga.

In regards to Cro Cop's next fight, he had this to say:

I am one of the most dangerous strikers in the world, but unfortunately, I did not prove that reputation in my last fight. It was a great shock for me and I believe for all my fans and I was very disappointed. But I am a true professional and fighting is my life so I’m training harder than ever. And in the next fight I will be better than ever so I hope you will all be there to see it. I am going to beat my opponent. As I already told you, it was a shock for me and many people ask me if I am okay, if I am injured – it didn’t look good – that my ankle twisted, that my knee was looking bad, but it’s okay now. I have started running already, I started full training already and I am dying for my next fight.

Cro Cop is of course known for his lethal striking abilities and his signature left high kick. Cro Cop has also been highly successful in K-1 and PRIDE FC and is the winner of the PRIDE 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix. Cro Cop was signed to the UFC not too long ago and has had two fights so far, a TKO victory over Eddie Sanchez and a knockout loss to Gabriel Gonzaga.

Cheick Kongo has some impressive credentials up his sleeve as well. Also, known for his impressive striking game, Kongo is a kick boxer and Muay-Thai practitioner who fights out of Paris, France. Kongo's last victory was at UFC 70: Nations Collide, where he defeated Assuerio Silva via majority decision.

This is a should be a stand-up war. Although Kongo lacks ground skills, I don't think Cro Cop is looking to take this one to the ground at any point in the fight.

Other confirmed fights for UFC 75:
Championship Bout: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson v. Dan "Hollywood" Henderson
Michael Bisping v. Matt Hamill

The Lianger

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Cro Cop's Comeback at UFC 75?

After nearly going into cardiac arrest upon hearing the announcement of the 205 pound double-crown championship fight between Rampage and Dan Henderson, rumors have risen about “Cro Cop’s” possible opponent on the same fight card.

“Cro Cop,” a former Croatian law enforcement officer, has been a wrecking machine in his professional career as a fighter, holding a hard-earned record of (16-7) in K1 and winning the PRIDE 2006 Open-weight Grand Prix with a MMA record of (22-5-2). After a less than stellar win over Eddie Sanchez and a devastating knockout loss against Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is in dire need of a strong comeback in the UFC. “Cro Cop” lacks the heart and passion he had when he fought for Pride FC.

With any luck, Cro Cop’s fire will be rekindled at UFC 75 as he squares off against Cheick Kongo (10-3-1) in London, England, on September 8. At least that’s what German website http://groundandpound.de is claiming to be the Croatian officer’s next opponent.

Cheick Kongo is a French based mixed martial artist whose arsenal focuses primarily on Muay Thai and kickboxing. Kongo has thus far earned a (3-1) record in the Octagon. Being that Kongo looked like a lost cause on the ground with opponent Assuerio Silva, there is no doubt in my mind that Kongo will decide to keep the rumored bout on his feet. Though Cro Cop’s ground arsenal is light years beyond Kongo, fans can surely prepare themselves for a classic standup mêlée between Cro Cop and Kongo.

I really hope this is true. It seems to make sense at this point, as an attempt to bring Cro Cop back in the spotlight of UFC. I’ll make sure to keep you guys posted on any official word regarding the bout.

Stay classy fans,
The Lianger

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