Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk

It just occurred to me that this card has a lot of potential slugfests. Sweet.

Cheick Kongo is one of the greatest kickboxers in the UFC. He’s also got the best physique in the company, outside of one eight-pack wielding French Canadian. However Kongo has shown some weakness on the ground. Luckily for him, Antoni Hardonk is the last fighter you’d expect to shoot for a takedown and work for submissions.

What Hardonk should do is bully Kongo. Heath Herring beat Kongo by applying constant pressure throughout the fight. Cheick almost got KO’d at the very beginning of round 1 because he wasn’t ready to fight. That’s okay, most fighters consider the first 10 seconds of the match to be a feeling-out process.

If Hardonk can keep Kongo backing-up he will have a decent chance at winning. He should definitely bust out those leg kicks he’s famous for. If Cheick is allowed to maintain a rhythm, he’ll probably win on the count of being the slightly better striker. Of course, they both have knockout power. Seeing a KO on either side wouldn’t be surprising.

Next Fight: Cantwell vs. Cane

Return from Kongo vs. Hardonk to Upcoming Fights