Bellator 265 will be held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The prelims begin at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT on the Bellator YouTube page, while the main card starts at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on Showtime.
Bellator 265 is headlined by former UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo as he takes on former Pride FC veteran Sergei Kharitonov. Kongo is coming off a loss to recent interim heavyweight title challenger Tim Johnson, but he’s won 8 of 9 with a no contest against champion Ryan Bader. Kharitonov has not competed under the Bellator banner since November of 2019, but he’s on a two-fight win streak in MMA and has also been victorious in two professional boxing bouts since.
The card received an unfortunate blow at the weigh-ins. Jay-Jay Wilson was originally scheduled for #1 contender’s fight against Adam Borics, however Wilson missed weight by 4.4lbs and the fight was subsequently cancelled. The University of Minnesota wrestling standout, Logan Storley and his opponent, Madison’s own Dante Schiro will now take place as the Bellator 265 co-main event. Storley will look to bounce back from his loss against now-champion Yaroslov Amosov, and Schiro is looking to make a splash in his promotional debut.
UFC veteran Marcelo Golm will also make his promotional debut as he takes on Billy “Big Sexy” Swanson, who comes into the fight on a three-fight winning streak on the Southeast US regional scene. Keith Lee, younger brother to UFC Welterweight Kevin Lee, will look to bounce back against Jornel Lugo in a top-10 bantamweight matchup to kick off the main card. The fight will be contested at a 140lb catchweight instead of the usual 136lb bantamweight limit.
Bellator 265 Results
Main Card
- Cheick Kongo def. Sergei Kharitonov via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:59 of Round 2
- Logan Storley def. Dante Schiro via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Marcelo Golm def. Billy Swanson via TKO (Strikes) at 4:56 of Round 1
- Jornel Lugo def. Keith Lee via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 5:00 of Round 1
Preliminary Card
- Fabio Aguiar def. Taylor Johnson via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mike Hamel def. Bryce Logan via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Archie Colgan def. Ben Simons via TKO (Ground and Pound) at 4:04 of Round 1
- Duane Johnson def. Deven Fisher via Submission (D’Arce Choke) at 1:04 of Round 1
- Bailey Schoenfelder def. Kory Moegenburg via TKO (Ground and Pound) at 4:11 of Round 1
