Cheick Kongo (11-4-1) will introduce mixed martial arts veteran Dan Evensen (10-2) to the Octagon at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” at the Target Center in MInneapolis, Minn., on August 9, according to a recent MySpace.com announcement from “The French Sensation.”
Kongo — who was recently on the short list of top contenders in the division — dropped a unanimous decision to Heath Herring at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” his last time out back in March. The former kickboxer and dangerous striker had a puzzling strategy for the fight, deciding to takedown the “Texas Crazy Horse” rather than stand and trade.
It didn’t work, and now Kongo will look to get back to his winning ways against Evensen.
A three-fight BodogFight veteran, as well as a regular in the Gladiator Challenge events earlier in his career, Evensen comes into the bout riding a four-fight win streak. He most recently outpointed Konstantin Gluhov on all three judges scorecards at BodogFight: “USA vs Russia” in November 2007.
The UFC 87 pay-per-view (PPV) event was just made official over the weekend, featuring the heavyweight showdown between Brock Lesnar and Mark Coleman, as well as the lightweight clash between Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.
For more on UFC 87 — the first-ever UFC show to be held in the North Star State — click here.
(Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Shaw” for the assist.)
38 Comments »
1st yea gold medal for me. kongo is the man, i hope he keeps this fight standing this time
This is crazy! Kongo should be fighting Gonzaga! WTF is Joe Silva doing!
This event is going to be Terrible! Brock vs. Coleman as the main event! Give me a break. A novice vs. a Has been!
This match up sucks as well. Kongo should be fighting Gonzaga
This will be the 1st UFC card after Afflictionns MONSTER card….and it will also be the UFC’s last event of the suimmer…I expect more then this B.S card they are trying to sell.
Dont get me wrong, I love Florian vs. Huerta, but thats not enough to carry this event alone…. They are better off terminating this event all together.
Yeah it seems this is where the streak of good cards ends. Lesnar’s off a loss, he shouldn’t be headlining an event. Novice or not it just shouldn’t have happend. This card will look even more pathetic after everyone watches Afflictions amazingly, insanely, fuckin’ booing card at the end of the summer.
This is bad news.
And “booing” was supposed to be “booming”. lol
John, I was JUST about to say the same exact thing for the most part. It is ABSOLUTELY ABSURD that Lesnar/Coleman is the Main Event. Brock Lesnar’s UFC debut against Mir was not even the main event. Tim Sylvia/Big Nog for the belt was the main event. So Lesnar loses his first fight in the octagon, and then gets booked to be the MAIN Event against 45 year old has been wrestler? This might as well be the main event of the Royal Rumble, not a UFC event. ANd like John said, this will be their first event after Afflictions debut card. Affliction has several GREAT HW matchups. Seriously, Arlovski/Rothwell and Barnett/Rizzo are both WAY better fights/matchups than Brock/Coleman. Not to mention that little fight they got going on between Fedor and Timmy.
I really hope that the UFC has something up their sleeves here. Plus, if those 2 fights stay the main two fights, I would MUCH prefer that Florian/Huerta be the main event. Yeah, VM just said that Huerta should be in the main event of a PPV - ONLY because it is that much better than Lesnar/Coleman - ridiculous.
If I was on a PPV budget and can only order one event every 30 days, I would not be buying this PPV, I’d be getting Afflicions. But since there is no MMA PPV budget for me, I will watch them all. But still, Joe Silva, Dana White… you gotta put together a card better than this. All these little “popup backyard promotions” you are always quick to dismiss are quickly catching up to the UFC. Just look at ESPN. The last few MMA segments they featured were on EliteXC and its fighters - not the UFC.
ESPN had (may still have, not sure, may be Anderson now) Fedor as the #1 lb for lb fighter. When he has his first fight in the US, I am sure that ESPN will be talking about it. And all of a sudden, UFC is getting the 3rd most exposure from the biggest sports channel in the country!
When EliteXC and Affliction start making money, then you might went to put Dana White on notice.
I find it funny that a bunch of guys commenting on an MMA site think they know more then proven business men who happen to be on Forbes’ richest people list.
The Fertitas did NOT earn thier fortune through the UFC. They made their money from casinos.
Relax. This is only the fourth rumored bout for the the card. Give it some time to materialize before you start complaining about how bad the card is.
Also, just having Brock Lesner on the card will ensure the UFC a ton of PPV buys. The UFC might not need to add much more talent to this card for it to be successful.
This main event is laughable!! I know that Brock will put alot of people in seats, and he will sell alot of ppv buy’s, And that is why hardcore MMa fans can understand putting him in a co-main event..Not the official Main Event..
It is ridiculous that the UFC has 5 world champions, and 1 ppv a month, and they cant have a title fight on every ppv..IMO there should always be a title fight headlining each ppv…This event better be free, because I am greatly disapointed with the UFC for booking Lesnar/Coleman for the main event..
john is right, they should have had Gonzaga/Kongo rather then Kongo fighting this guy I dont know of, and I didn’t even realize until VM pointed out, that with Affliction giving the fans the best line-up of the year(so far), that the UFC would follow-up with this B/S??,…they must be high?..and not Nick Diaz high..more like Nick Nolte HIGH…CRAZY!
they should add franklin to the card to sure it up
franklin vs hendo. now that would be a main event.
I 2nd that.
When Hendo and Franklin finally do fight, they will both be given plenty of notice. I have not heard anything thus far. Hendo/Franklin was a the top of the list for replacing Liddell/Shogun, but there wasn’t enough time.
There was a good chance I was going to see this event, but now that the card is shaping up like this I don’t know. If these are the best fights to come, then no thanks, already.
I guess they just want to give Kongo some of his confidence back since he looked a little scared vs. Herring. A first round TKO should do the trick.
Hooray Cup Cheick is back!
KONGO SMASH!
Seek & Destroy seems like a worthwhile title, UFC are seeking out the possibly worst card ever and destroying my already faltering faith in them for putting on good fights.
i dont know why some of the veteran bloggers are gettting so uptight about. this card is 3 months from now and will probably be added onto. maybee a.silva defends against okami or as stated above hendo vs franklin would be a great co-main event. the ufc always does this. if the card stands like this then i agree, but im pretty sure it wont. and JOHN i agree about kongo vs g.g., they are both at a crossroads and should be fighting each other, and like we talked about before if joe silva makes over $25 grand a year he is overpaid.
b.w; I hear what your saying, and I agree, I wont knock this card(for all around fights) until it fill’s out…But, I WILL “knock” this main-event all the way untill it happens, because Lesnar/Coleman “main event” is bullshit…
If the UFC has Silva defend agianst Okami, it would definetly be “main event”, so with the UFC officially releasing Lesnar/Coleman main event, I am pretty sure that the Spider wont be on this card…Hendo/Franklin, on the otherhand??.Would be great!!..still(imo) should be main event over BL/MC, but I could see the UFC putting some more quality fights(like that one) on the card..
hopefull they will reduce lesnar/coleman to co-main event status and your right it doesnt even deserve that but it will sell alot of ppvs, and thats always the bottom line.
B.W: The problem is that Brock vs. Coleman has been officially been made the main event, and Huerta vs. Florian is the co-main event…so there is no way we will see Anderson Silva vs. Okami or Hendo vs. Franklin…because those are main event type match ups!
We are 3 months away, but the major bouts have been booked! So dont count on Okami vs. Silva or Hendo vs. Franklin to be added to the card!
wow! i didnt know that. my bad. i’ll still probably end up buying it anyway. the upcoming event w/ b.j , wandi. and tito all on the same card is the only really big card they got this summer. im still hoping to hear more about a.a.’s status at todays afliction press conference.
It’s only the main event because Lesnar is a Minnesota guy. Since there was never any question about whether Lesnar’s fight would be shown, why does it matter if his fight is the first one to be shown or the last?
I’m gonna end up attending this, but i got a question for those who have been to events: My highschool grad. gift was gonna be tickets to this, but instead my car got totaled on mothers day and I think my parents are helping me out with a car. I’ve got a LOW paying job, and .. other ways to make money but was wondering which seats should would you guys recommend?
What are you guys complaining about? Are you forgetting about the Cummo vs. Barncat fight? War Barncat. MEOWWW!
Want to talk about a bunch of girls on here? All you guys want are the same top 10 fighters beating each other up every other month. That is a whole heck of a lot of fun to watch. The same guys fighting each other over and over. To hecj with records, titles, build up…just give me fightin’!!
I think boxing did “alright” with a main even an 1 or 2 scrubs or newbies fighting the prelims.
I don’t know really what your point is?
If your argument is that boxing events only have one big fight… er thats why boxing is dying on its ass.
This is a rubbish card and although they will add to it the main event has been confirmed and thats final.
No title fight, no Hendo etc. Deal with it, this card sucks.
Hopefully kongo has the same gameplan against this guy as he did against hearing. I cant wait to see some more technical, graceful bjj out of kongo. HA
never heard of evensen, wonder of it will be a main card fight, now you guys know how i feel with the weak card i am going to in july,
This picture looks like Trinidad & Tobago”s own native son, Gary Goodridge.
I share the disappointment expressed by so many in these comments. This event is shaping up to be a snooze. I hope they can add some excitement in finalizing the remaining bouts.
Yep, it’s a good thing I don’t buy the pay per views anyway. JRoland and I hit up a local Sports Bar and watch the fights for free so at least we don’t have to pay for this shit. I would rather see Heath Herring fight Gonzaga, still not a Prime Time match but it would be better than this crap.
anyone know where i can see where i would be sitting for this event for the $400 seats? I cant find a seating chart with prices on it for target center
I’d like to see an improved ground-game of Kongo.. He is built for his division and could really develop into a great all-round fighter.
the “french sensation” or is it “The french ball breaker”?
John, how is silva knocking out okami in the first round a main event?
Probably will add st pierre vs. fitch to this card.
I heard hendo/franklin will be closer to year’s end.