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Left out of Grand Prix, Javy Ayala hopes to earn alternate spot by beating Cheick Kongo at Bellator 199

Don’t look now but Javy Ayala is making a name for himself as a fighter to watch in Bellator’s suddenly booming heavyweight division.

A 10-6 fighter, Ayala was considered by most to be an also-ran; but that all changed with Ayala’s last two performances. Coming in as a considerable underdog, Ayala impressed against MMA mainstays Sergei Kharitonov and Roy Nelson, knocking out Kharitonov in 16 seconds and fighting to a competitive decision loss against Nelson last September. The Nelson fight, in particular, opened a lot people’s eyes to what “Eye Candy” brings to the cage and, he says, showed the world that he is ready to jump to the next level of competition.