Bellator 265 results: Cheick Kongo rallies, submits Sergei Kharitonov at buzzer in wild Round 2

What started as a slow heavyweight fight quickly spun off the rails and ended with Cheick Kongo getting the tap with one second left in Round 2.

[autotag]Cheick Kongo[/autotag] has a knack for comebacks, and he showed that Friday.

In the Bellator 265 main event, Kongo submitted veteran Russian heavyweight [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag] at 4:59 of  what turned into a wild second round.

The event took place at Sanford Pentagon. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Entering Round 2, things didn’t look great for Kongo. Throughout the first round, he was stalked, jabbed, and even poked in the eye with an errant toe on a kick. However, midway through Round 2, Kongo (31-11-2 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) flipped the script and hurt Kharitonov (32-9 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) with a series of punches.

With his opponent against the cage and seemingly still stunned, Kongo elected to shoot for a takedown, which he successfully secured. The fighters crashed to the canvas with a heavy thud.

Once on the mat, Kongo worked to mount and Kharitonov rolled, which exposed his neck. As the clock winded down, Kongo snuck in a rear-naked choke attempt. The tap came with one second left in Round 2.

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Kongo, 46, returns to the win column after a split decision loss to Tim Johnson in October 2020. The victory is his first since February 2019, but his ninth in his most recent 11 attempts.

As for Kharitonov, the 41-year-old had a two-fight winning streak snapped. It’s only the second loss he’s suffered since November 2016 and the first by submission since September 2011.

Complete Bellator 265 results include:
MAIN CARD

  • Cheick Kongo def. Sergei Kharitonov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:59
  • Logan Storley def. Dante Schiro via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Marcelo Golm def. Billy Swanson via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:57
  • Jornel Lugo def. Keith Lee via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 5:00

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Fabio Aguiar def. Taylor Johnson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Mike Hamel def. Bryce Logan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Archie Colgan def. Ben Simons via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:04
  • Duane Johnson def. Deven Fisher via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 1:04
  • Bailey Schoenfelder def. Kory Moegenburg via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:11

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