Hector Lombard, a former UFC middleweight, defeated Cheick Kongo, a former UFC heavyweight, in a Pillow Fight Championship main event on August 1, 2025, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Florida. The fun bout, aired on ESPN8 The Ocho, featured the two veterans swinging pillows in a three-round contest. Lombard outscored Kongo to win the Pillow Fight Championship title.
Pillow Fight Championship Bout
The event, hosted by Hush, drew a lively crowd. Pillow Fight Championship rules include three 90-second rounds with a one-minute rest. Fighters earn one point for a headshot, three points for a spinning headshot, and five points for a knockdown. Body shots don’t count to keep the action fun. Lombard used his striking skills to land clean hits, while Kongo struggled to connect.
Hector Lombard and Cheick Kongo competing in the Pillow Fight Championship on ESPN.pic.twitter.com/02SJbA12Bx
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) August 2, 2025
Fans enjoyed the playful matchup on social media. One wrote, “Wow I always wanted to see Lombard vs. Kongo and now we get it in pillow fighting. Truly a man’s dream.” Another said, “Feel like it’d be way better if they had a pillow in each hand.” A third added, “In the era of 98-year-old Mike Tyson losing to a roided-up loser, this is the best outcome for retired MMA fighters.”
The event gave both fighters a chance to entertain in a low-risk setting after long careers in MMA.
Hector Lombard, 47, is from Cuba and turned pro in 2002. He fought in PRIDE, UFC, and Bellator, where he won the first middleweight title in 2010 by knocking out Alexander Shlemenko. Known for his knockout power, Lombard beat Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares in UFC. He competed in Eagle FC, facing Thiago Silva on May 20, 2022, at Eagle FC 48, which ended in a no contest due to an illegal knee by Silva. His last MMA fight was a TKO loss to Magomedrasul Khasbulaev in PFL in June 2021. He won a bare-knuckle MMA fight against Chris Sarro in November 2023 at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 6. His MMA record is 34-10-1.
Cheick Kongo, 50, is from France and turned pro in 2001. He competed in UFC from 2006 to 2013, beating Mirko Cro Cop and Cain Velasquez. In Bellator, he challenged for the heavyweight title, losing to Ryan Bader in 2022, his last MMA fight. Known for a comeback knockout against Pat Barry in 2011, Kongo’s MMA record is 31-12-2. Both brought their experience to this unique contest.
Lombard’s win adds a fun chapter to his career. He might return to bare-knuckle MMA or take on more exhibition events. Kongo, despite the loss, showed he’s still up for competition at 50. He could explore other novelty matches or focus on coaching in France.
