Photo via Strikeforce.com
Just one year ago fans of the Strikeforce promotion were unfamiliar with light heavyweight fighter Lorenz ‘The Monsoon’ Larkin (12-0), but after three wins and one Challengers headlining bout, fans are about to learn a lot more about him.
Larkin is set to face former champ Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal this Saturday as part of the Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine event in Las Vegas. The two 205-lbs fighters will battle for a title contender spot for the vacant Strikeforce light heavyweight title, vacated by Dan Henderson this fall.
Speaking to MMAMania.com, Larkin stated that he was “honored” to face Lawal as well as being given an opportunity to fight for the vacant title should he win.
MMAmania.com: One year ago today, you were preparing to fight Mike Cook at MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 4. Do you ever just think and look back and think, “Wow, so much has happened to me in such a short time?”
Lorenz Larkin: Yeah, it is pretty crazy. Everybody’s asking, “How do you feel about this fight?” and I just keep saying, “I’m honored, I’m looking at it a totally different way than other people are looking at it.” I get questions like, “Do you feel like you’re ready?” just for me to even be considered to fight King Mo, you have to understand that just this April, I was new to the organization. Nobody knew about me or had ever heard of me.
I was just this guy that was pretty much getting fed to Scott Lighty and I was pumped enough to even be in Strikeforce on TV. That was the biggest accomplishment of my career in April. Just to have these last three fights, every single thing that I’ve been doing is the biggest thing of my career. My second fight, I’m fighting again on TV and my third fight in Strikeforce, I’m headlining and that’s the biggest thing. Now, to be considered for King Mo and it’s for title contention, that’s a whole ‘nother big thing in itself. I’m taking it like it’s the biggest accomplishment for me.
(MMAmania.com): Now there’s a lot of parallels, I see, looking at your fight with King Mo compared to Ovince St. Preux’s fight against Gegard Mousasi. Both really talented prospects undefeated in Strikeforce and then stepping up against the former champion. Do you kind of look at that fight and are there any concerns seeing how he did stepping up like that for the first time?
Lorenz Larkin: No, listen. To me, it’s MMA. Anything can happen. I can go in there and be the best conditioned Lorenz Larkin that I’ve seen or anyone else has seen and get dropped in the first five seconds or it could be the total opposite. You never know in the fight. I felt it was a good showing for OSP and it was a hard fight for Mousasi. That was along, hard-fought drawn out fight. I don’t think that he got demolished. I just think that him being a veteran, that came into play.
Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine is scheduled to take place on January 7, 2012 from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card is set to air on Showtime while the prelim card airs on Showtime Extreme.