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Bellator 265 pre-event facts: 46-year-old Cheick Kongo makes history

Bellator’s expansion of its travel schedule continues on Friday with Bellator 265, which takes place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A matchup of heavyweight veterans headlines the event. Former title challenger Cheick Kongo (30-11-2 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) takes on Sergei Kharitonov (30-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in a three-round bout.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 15 pre-event facts about Bellator 265.

Cheick Kongo vs. Sergei Kharitonov

Cheick Kongo

Kongo, 46, is the oldest active fighter on the Bellator roster.

Kongo, at 44, became the oldest fighter to compete in a Bellator championship bout when he fought for the heavyweight title at Bellator 226 in September 2019.

Kongo competes in his 17th Bellator heavyweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Kongo competes in his 35th Bellator/UFC bout, the most appearances by any heavyweight in combined organizational history.

Kongo’s 12 victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Kongo’s five stoppage victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Tyrell Fortune (eight) and Javy Ayala (six).

Kongo’s four knockout victories in Bellator heavyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Fortune (seven) and Vitaly Minakov (five).

Kharitonov has earned 28 of his 30 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 24 of those wins in Round 1.

Kharitonov vs. Matt Mitrione at Bellator 215 marked the third shortest no contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (6 seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

Adam Borics vs. Jay Jay Wilson

Jay Jay Wilson

Jay Jay Wilson’s (8-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) seven-fight Bellator winning streak at featherweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind A.J. McKee (18).

Wilson has earned seven of his eight career victories by stoppage.

Wilson’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind McKee (seven) and Patricio Freire (five).

Marcelo Golm vs. Kelvin Tiller

Kelvin Tiller

Kelvin Tiller (11-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) returns to Bellator for the first time since August 2012. He was unbeaten in his first tenure with the promotion

Tiller enters the event on a three-fight losing skid. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2019.

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