Kongo fouls his way to a tie with Browne
The heavyweight bout between Cheick Kongo and Travis Browne not only did not get a finish, it didn’t even get…
The heavyweight bout between Cheick Kongo and Travis Browne not only did not get a finish, it didn’t even get a winner. A point deduction in the third round cost Cheick Kongo for grabbing Browne’s shorts, and it also cost him a win as the final scorecards read 28-28 across the board as the fight ended in a draw.
Browne started the fight aggressive, head hunting Kongo with big, wild punches. While maybe not the most technically proficient attack, it worked for the American as he planted some solid shots on Kongo throughout the first five minutes.
Kongo battled back in rounds 2 and 3 with his signature clinch work against the cage, digging knees deep into Browne’s thigh and controlling the position. One way he kept that control was by grabbing Browne’s shorts over and over again. Referee Marc Goddard issued a warning, but after continued offenses he paused the fight in the third round and deducted a point from Kongo’s score.
The point ended up being the difference in the fight as the judges gave Kongo rounds 2 and 3, but because of the deduction the final scores read 28-28 with the heavyweights ending in a draw.