Cheick Kongo to face Timothy Johnson at Bellator 208

When Timothy Johnson makes his Bellator debut, it will be against a fellow UFC veteran.

Johnson meets Cheick Kongo in a heavyweight bout at Bellator 208 on Oct. 13 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. MMA Fighting confirmed the bout with officials following an initial report by ESPN.

This will be Johnson’s first fight outside of the UFC since October 2014. The 33-year-old alternated wins and losses in his seven UFC appearances, picking up wins over Marcelo Golm, Daniel Omielanczuk, Marcin Tybura, and Shamil Abdurakhimov. Johnson is 12-4 as a professional overall.

Kongo, 43, is currently experiencing the best stretch of his 17-year career. He has won six straight fights, a run that includes a June 2015 unanimous decision win over current UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov. A longtime competitor in the UFC himself, Kongo will bring a 28-10-2 professional record with him when he faces Johnson.

Bellator 208 is scheduled to be headlined by a Heavyweight Grand Prix semifinal bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Chael Sonnen.