The man who scored the biggest upset in MMA history is back under the bright lights of Spike TV and Bellator. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou — known simply as Sokoudjou — has fought for most every major MMA promotion in the world, including UFC, Strikeforce, Pride, Affliction, and now, Bellator.
Now, “The African Assassin” is back.
“I was chilling in the jungle when I got the call from my manager,” Sokoudjou told The Post. “He asked if I wanted to sign with Bellator and get back to fighting in the States. I couldn’t believe it.”
The 30-year-old Cameroonian has been fighting across the globe the past four years, taking fights in Russia, Israel, Poland and South Korea.
“I’ve enjoyed every [fight], traveling the world, seeing new places,” Sokoudjou said. “But it’s always nice to fight in America where I can understand the media and promotions better. It can be very confusing fighting abroad.”
Sokoudjou catapulted to MMA fame after knocking out iron-chinned Brazilian legend Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in 2007. He was a 23-1 underdog before knocking out Nogueira with a sneaky left hook 23 seconds into the first round.
Now, Sokoudjou is signed to Bellator, an American-based tournament-style fight promotion that recently has added a slew of former UFC fighters to their roster, including James Irvin and Houston Alexander. Sokoudjou is back in televised fights, this time in an entire new format.
“The tournaments, to me, are the way to go. You know who is ranked what, where you stand in the rankings, who you’ll fight next,” Sokoudjou said. “I have a lot to prove. I need to give them a reason to give me what I want, title shot, or another spot in the tournament.”
Sokoudjou will take on Terry Davinney (10-6) on June 6 in Bellator’s light-heavyweight tournament at Bellator 121.