A trio of season nine tournament finals is official for Bellator 107, including the night’s main event, a heavyweight match-up pitting UFC veteran Cheick Kongo against Australian kickboxer Peter Graham.
Bantamweights Joe Warren vs. Travis Marx and middleweights Mikkel Parlo vs. Brennan Ward will also lock horns on Bellator 107’s main card, with a guaranteed title shot and $100,000 grand prize up for grabs. Bellator officials confirmed the match-ups on Wednesday.
Kongo (19-8-2) was initially slated to meet fellow tourney finalist Vinicius Queiroz, who knocked out UFC veteran Lavar Johnson in 23 seconds earlier this month. However an ACL injury forced Queiroz off the card, and Graham (10-5), who two weeks ago battered Eric Prindle at Bellator 104, was tabbed as a replacement.
“I want to fight the best in Bellator so I can be the best,” Kongo said in a statement. “When I try to do things as a competitor, I want to be the best. I messed up before because I wasn’t focused like I’ve been from the beginning. But, now … I will be the best. It’s my time. I came to Bellator for the opportunity to show the best Cheick Kongo. And that’s it.”
A former Bellator featherweight champion, Warren (9-3) now looks to stake his claim in the bantamweight division, having advanced to season nine’s finals on the strength of a second-round submission win over Nick Kirk. He’ll meet Marx (21-4, 1 NC), a 36-year-old who knocked out Brandon Bender in the tourney semifinals.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet is back,” Warren said. “I’m one win away from getting back to exactly where I want to be, fighting for that belt. This is what I work for, this is what I train for, and nothing is going to get in the way of that.”
Also highlighting the card are middleweight finalists Parlo (11-1) and Ward (8-1). Parlo outpointed Brian Rogers and Jason Butcher to reach this stage of the tournament, while Ward knocked out Justin Torrey then submitted Joe Pacheco.
Bellator 107 takes place November 8, 2013 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, OK.