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Muhammed Lawal is coming back to mixed martial arts for one last fight.
“King Mo” is back — but not for long.
After announcing his retirement from MMA earlier this year, Muhammed Lawal is set to meet Andrew Kapel at Bellator 233 on Nov. 8 in Thackerville, Oklahoma, ESPN reported Thursday. It will be contested at a 195-pound catchweight and will serve as Lawal’s official final fight.
Lawal, who has lost three fights in a row, retired after an April loss to Jiri Prochazka in Rizin FF. He told ESPN that he wanted to end his career with Bellator and company president Scott Coker, for whom Lawal fought earlier in his career in Strikeforce.
Lawal’s last victory inside the cage came in 2017 in a rematch with Quinton Jackson. He avenged a 2014 loss to “Rampage” in that fight, defeating the former UFC champ by unanimous decision. Lawal also holds notable wins over Gegard Mousasi, Cheick Kongo, and Linton Vassell.
Lawal has recently begun coaching wrestling at American Top Team — the gym he trained at as an active fighter — in Coconut Creek, Florida.
His opponent, Kapel, is making his Bellator debut. He is riding a four-fight winning streak and is 14-6 overall as a pro.
Bellator 233 is expected to be headlined by a middleweight bout between John Salter and Costello van Steenis.