Issue 085
February 2012
The French heavyweight’s turnaround knockout of Pat Barry was one of the most incredible moments in UFC history – not that he remembers much about it!
It was possibly the most exciting, explosive and, quite frankly, outrageous moment of 2011 as a seemingly out-on-his-feet Cheick Kongo found two huge right hands to send a marauding Pat Barry off to sleep. “It’s over, he’s out!” screamed Joe Rogan, as Kongo stumbled groggily back up against the fence after climbing back to his feet following two heavy knockdowns. Seconds later it was the Frenchman with his hand raised as a right uppercut from nowhere turned out Barry’s lights and tucked him in with a soothing bedtime story.
“In all honesty, I really don’t remember much about what happened, but I guess I just came back, and that’s a great thing,” offers the 2011 ‘Comeback of the Year’ award winner. “I won this fight and it means that I am still recognised as a heavyweight contender, and that’s pretty good. So it was very satisfying to win.
“I am very happy that the fans enjoyed this fight and voted me for this award, but, of course, I don’t do this sport to survive and have to come back like this. In life we have many ways to come back, but not this way. For me to come back is when you forget something at the house, so I have to go back and pick up my keys or something like that (laughs). But not this way, not in a fight... But I guess for the fans it was pretty exciting.”
Along with the Barry knockout in Pittsburgh in June, Kongo outscored Matt Mitrione in Las Vegas to end the year with the scalps of two of the division’s hottest prospects, and land himself back in contention for the UFC heavyweight title.
“I am happy with the two wins I had in 2011,” Kongo reflects. “These were two up-and-coming guys in good form and so the pressure was on me to beat them.
I had to change my fighting style a little for both fights, but that made the wins more pleasing. I was happy to beat them and hopefully defeating them has helped me to become a UFC title contender. That is what it is all about. I want my title chance and I still believe today that one day I will be the world champion.
“The heavyweight division is strong right now and I know that if I keep winning my fights I will get a chance to fight for the title. That is all I am thinking about. Once I win the title then I can get really successful.
“Fighting for the title is all I ever wanted to do. I never joined the UFC to talk crazy about people or to act like a fool. I am in the UFC, first for myself, after all the fight is real and it is a test every time you fight. But I also want to prove to everybody else that I am the UFC champion. I know myself that I am the best, but I need the opportunity to prove that to everybody else as well. I am in the UFC for one thing, and that thing is the belt, so I’ll try my best in 2012 to get it. If it doesn’t happen, it wont be for a lack of trying.”
