More Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veterans are headed to Qatar to throw leather.
MMA Mania has confirmed with sources that former UFC and Bellator Heavyweight, Cheick Kongo (31-12-2, 2 no contest), will make his boxing debut against Fabio Maldonado (28-17 in MMA, 28-6 in boxing) at Rumble of Titans: Duel In the Desert in Qatar on June 8, 2024. Last under Bellator contract, Kongo is no longer with the company after it was acquired by Professional Fighters League (PFL) in late 2023.
The match will be 10 three-minute rounds and available to watch on Fite TV with event tickets sold at Platinum List.
Kongo, 48, last fought in his title fight rematch against Bellator Heavyweight champion, Ryan Bader, at Bellator 280 in May 2022. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, Kongo lost the bout via a unanimous decision in his home of Paris, France. His last win came over Serghei Kharitonov via second round rear-naked choke the year prior. While he’ll be new to the boxing ring, Kongo has competed in kickboxing during his lengthy combat sports run.
The 43-year-old Maldonado also last fought in 2022. Brazil’s “Steel Hillbilly” has remained active in both MMA and boxing since his final UFC appearance in November 2015. He went 1-2 across both sports in 2022 and last boxed in a losing effort against Yamil Alberto Peralta via third round technical knockout that September.
Rumble of Titans will be headlined by a match between former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and former boxing Heavyweight titlist, Shannon Briggs. The rest of the event line up is expected to feature a handful of names with MMA ties.