Cheick Kongo: 5 Fights He Should Take Next

Cheick Kongo is currently on a two-fight winning streak, after defeating rising heavyweight prospect Matt Mitrione at UFC 137. So what next for the reserved Frenchman?

Kongo was once thought of as the gatekeeper en-route to the UFC heavyweight gold.

Be that as it may, after his display against Mitrione some would suggest that he’s still that—a gatekeeper.

Now if Kongo had dispatched Mitrione in spectacular fashion it’d have been a different ball game altogether—resurgence, a force to be reckoned with, would come to mind.

As that is not case, the next and only steps for Kongo, is to take on and defeat all comers—and a little bit of Pat Barry-esque drama wouldn’t go amiss either.

If there’s any consolation for Kongo, then it’s the fact that he’s currently ranked No. 8 in the UFC heavyweight division.

A look at some viable opponents for the Kongo.

5. Stefan Struve

Stefan Struve has accounted for himself quite well since he signed for the UFC. Where he’s faltered has been when he’s taken that step up in class.

The 23 year-old’s loss to Junior Dos Santos on his UFC debut is nothing to being ashamed of. I’d call it more of a learning curve.

Still, his next two losses to Roy Nelson and Travis Browne would suggest that he might not be the real deal after all.

Vis-à-vis Kongo, a match up with Struve would make sense—they’ve both got the height and the kickboxing background, as well as having Pat Barry's name on their resumé of conquests.

If Kongo can get past Struve, then his next opponent should be…

4. Travis Browne

Travis Browne was the last man to hand Stefan Struve a loss, and the same person who fought to a draw with Kongo more than a year ago.

Browne (12-0-1) is quietly making his progress up the UFC ladder, and without a loss thus far in his career, he’s more than a credible and formidable adversary for Kongo.

Regardless of the threat that Browne could pose for Kongo, it’s a fight that if he triumphs, would more or less remove the tag of gatekeeper from around his neck.

3. Roy Nelson

Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve have both fallen to “Big Country.”

Still, his only two defeats in the UFC have been against the elite of the division—Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir (Kongo also has a loss to the latter).

In no way am I suggesting that Kongo is an elite fighter (with his talent and that extra championship ingredient, he most definitely could’ve been), but going toe to toe with Nelson shouldn’t be a daunting task for the Frenchman.

Calling out Cain Velasquez is heroic, but not ideal—he’s too hot to handle right now, and he’s also got that little business of Dos Santos and the his UFC heavyweight championship to take care of at the UFC on Fox event, in less than a fortnight’s time.

And even if Velasquez were to lose against Dos Santos, a match up with Kongo would yield the same result, only this time it’d be more brutal—no unanimous decisions.

Nelson should be the way forward for Kongo, that’s if all goes according to plan against the No. 10 and No. 9 ranked UFC heavyweights.

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is next slated to throw down with Kongo’s last conqueror Frank Mir, at UFC 140.

Regardless of who wins that bout, a fight with “Minotauro” will not be an easy one.

Minotauro is on a crusade of sorts—speculation was rife that the former Pride champion was finished after defeats to Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez.

Minotauro had other ideas though, and he went about it by proving his naysayers wrong with a round one blitz of heavyweight prospect Brendan Schaub.

The path to glory is never an easy one, but that path should lead to Minotauro, assuming Kongo can get past the obstacles standing in his way.

1. Frank Mir

And finally, if Kongo has taken care of business elsewhere, then a rematch with Frank Mir should be on the cards.

There’s no love lost between these two, and as Mir was the last person to hand Kongo a defeat in the Octagon, he’d be looking to set the record straight.

There’s a reason that Mir is ranked No. 5 in the UFC heavyweight division—he’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Kongo would most definitely have his work cut out against the aforementioned.

Be that as it may, if he’s to get to the next phase of his career, then that’s one of the directions he should be heading towards.