Cheick Kongo vs. Tony Johnson to Headline Bellator 161 on Sept. 16

A heavyweight showdown pitting Cheick Kongo against Tony Johnson will headline Bellator 161 in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sept. 16.

The event and featured bout were announced during the Bellator 159 broadcast on Friday night. Bellator 161 will take place at the H-E-B Center just outside of Austin, with the main card airing on Spike TV. More bouts will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Kongo, 41, is 6-2 since signing with Bellator MMA after a lengthy stint with the UFC in 2013. He enters the matchup with Johnson on the strength of back-to-back triumphs over Vinicious Kappke de Queiroz and Alexander Volkov. The Paris native is 24-10-2 over the course of his career with notable triumphs against the likes of Shawn Jordan, Matt Mitrione, Pat Barry and Mirko Filipovic.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Johnson has established himself as a talent to watch in the Bellator heavyweight division. He has won six of his last seven bouts, including triumphs over Volkov and Raphael Butler with the California-based promotion. Johnson also owns wins against Derrick Lewis and Tim Sylvia during his 12-bout professional tenure.