Third-ranked heavyweight Cheick Kongo attempts to bounce back from a rare defeat when he takes on Sergei Kharitonov in the main event of Bellator 265 on Friday. The main card is set for 9 p.m. ET from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD and will be televised on Showtime.

Kongo (30-11-2) returns to action for the first time since October, when he lost a split decision against Timothy Johnson in Paris. The 46-year-old was unbeaten in his previous 10 bouts, as he won nine in a row before his title fight against heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in September 2019 ended in a no-contest after Kongo was accidentally poked in the eye in the first round and was unable to continue.

The oldest active fighter on the promotion's roster, Kongo looks to extend his Bellator record of 12 victories in the heavyweight division when he faces Kharitonov (30-7), who has recorded 28 of his wins by stoppage. The 41-year-old Russian is participating in his first fight since November, when he scored a first-round knockout against Oli Thompson to win the Parus FC heavyweight championship.

Kharitonov is a -130 favorite (risk $130 to win $100), while Kongo is listed at +110 (risk $100 to win $110) in the latest Caesars Sportsbook odds for Bellator 265. 

Before locking in your Bellator 265 picks, make sure you see what the ultimate MMA insider, Ian Parker, has to say. A former fighter who's been in the industry for 15 years, Parker has managed some of the world's best, including former UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman, Costas Philippou and Gian Villante. Parker trained alongside UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra. Now, Parker breaks down fights and makes betting picks for the Voice of the UFC, Jon Anik.

Parker is coming off a mind-boggling 2020 season. On the Anik & Florian Podcast, Parker went an astounding 58-14, returning $9,465 to $100 bettors who followed him. He hit 11 of his 17 underdog picks and 19 of 30 main events. Overall, Parker nailed an astonishing 81 percent of his plays. 

Parker is 24-10 on 2021 Bellator picks since joining SportsLine for a profit of nearly $600. The analyst went a perfect 4-0 at Bellator 257 to give $100 bettors a profit of $400, and also crafted a massive 10-1 card at UFC 264 to return his followers a profit of nearly $900 in one night. Anyone who has followed Parker already has seen MASSIVE returns!   

For Bellator 265, we can tell you Parker is backing Adam Borics (-150) to defeat Jay Jay Wilson (+125) in a battle of featherweights on the main card.

Parker has also locked in his picks for Kongo vs. Kharitonov in the main event and more. You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks before locking in any plays for Bellator 265.  

Who wins Kongo vs. Kharitonov? And which other fighters should you back at Bellator 265? ... Join SportsLine here to see which fighters you need to be all over at Bellator 265 on Friday, all from the ultimate MMA insider who returned nearly $9,500 to his followers in 2020!