King Mo’s Future in Doubt, Will the Former Champion Ever Return to the Cage?

Muhammed Lawal, a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion known to fans worldwide as “King Mo,” is no stranger to adversity. Usually that adversity comes in the form of the best Light Heavyweight competition Strikeforce has to offer a…

Muhammed Lawal, a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion known to fans worldwide as “King Mo,” is no stranger to adversity. Usually that adversity comes in the form of the best Light Heavyweight competition Strikeforce has to offer and/or the controversies he inevitably finds himself in due to his brash, outspoken personality.

But according to a recent report, Lawal is facing a far more serious battle: the battle to save his career. Here are all the details.

According to MixedMartialArts.com, Lawal is suffering from a major bout of staph infection after undergoing ACL surgery that nearly cost him his leg. According to the report, Lawal’s staph infection has returned worse than ever before, and the former champion has undergone six surgeries in just one month and is now connected to a tube that gives him antibiotics 24 hours a day.

Currently, Lawal is 8-1 with one no-contest as a professional mixed martial artist. In his most recent bout, Lawal scored a dominant KO win over rising star Lorenz Larkin. The win was recently overturned and ruled a no-contest when it was revealed that Lawal had tested positive for a banned substance after the fight. Before that, Lawal was coming off a major KO victory over Roger Gracie.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t always a fan of King Mo. I never really bothered to follow him when he was making waves on the Japanese circuit.

When he came to Strikeforce, though, I started paying attention. And it’s hard not to pay attention to King Mo: He’s never afraid to give a controversial interview, he’s known for his extravagant ring entrances, and he’s got a large majority of his pro MMA wins (six of eight) by (T)KO.

Once you wash away all the controversy, I think King Mo is a good person. He has a lot of controversial interviews out there, of that there can be no doubt. But I’ve also seen a lot of really heartfelt interviews from him. Once you get past the “King Mo” character, Muhammed Lawal is a well-spoken, very intelligent and very interesting person.

He’s also only 31 years old, which is one of the main reasons why I wish him nothing but the best and I really hope he’ll be able to come back from all this adversity. I think King Mo does deserve a second chance, and I think he is definitely one of the best Light Heavyweight fighters not currently competing in the UFC.

But like so many other fighters, I honestly wonder how all this will affect Lawal’s performances in the future. It’s always a fantastic story when an athlete returns after facing so much adversity, but the reality of the situation is that some fighters are never the same. So not only do I hope to see Lawal back in the cage one day, I hope that he’s able to return to form as well.

 

Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews, and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.

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UFC on FX 2 Info and Predictions for the Entire Card

This Friday night, Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann will come off of recent wins in 2011 to face each other at UFC on FX 2 live from the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia.Featuring Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson and Joseph …

This Friday night, Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann will come off of recent wins in 2011 to face each other at UFC on FX 2 live from the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia.

Featuring Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez in the UFC Flyweight Tournament semifinals, as well as Court McGee vs. Constantinos Philippou, and a fairly-loaded undercard filled with international talent, UFC on FX 2 in Sydney looks to pick up where UFC on FX 1 in Nashville left off.

As usual, we’re pretty amped up for this card and we like the ways this could turn out, but as is protocol for us in the MMA world, there’s a little bit of information that we might need to keep in mind as we look ahead to this card.

The predictions are on the house. Here’s hoping they turn out better than the first attempt.

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UFC on FX: Full-Card Predictions

This weekend, the UFC comes to you on FX from the Land Down Under, Australia. This event makes history, as the UFC unveils its flyweight division for the first time ever.These flyweights competing on the card are competing in a tournament to crown the …

This weekend, the UFC comes to you on FX from the Land Down Under, Australia. This event makes history, as the UFC unveils its flyweight division for the first time ever.

These flyweights competing on the card are competing in a tournament to crown the inaugural UFC flyweight champion. With two men dropping a weight class to compete and two already top-ranked flyweights competing, it is sure to be exciting.

We also have a main event in the welterweight division, pitting a top contender of the division versus a resurgent former title contender. All of these fights provide potential to earn Fight of the Night bonuses.

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Jon Jones and Rashad Evans: A Guide to One of MMA’s Most Intense Rivalries

There are only a few great rivalries in modern MMA. Jon Jones and Rashad Evans happen to have one of the best. From a human angle, it is filled with trust leading to betrayal, friends turning into enemies and brothers-in-arms becoming an army against y…

There are only a few great rivalries in modern MMA. Jon Jones and Rashad Evans happen to have one of the best. From a human angle, it is filled with trust leading to betrayal, friends turning into enemies and brothers-in-arms becoming an army against you. From a sports perspective, it is an intriguing matchup between two truly versatile light heavyweights, who are also two of the biggest threats in the division standing, clinched or on the ground.

From the bleachers, it is one of the most exciting, and possibly one of the best, fights of the year.

With this in mind, it is important to look over the history between these two fighters and how two teammates became some of the bitterest of enemies in the sport.

One of the biggest problems when it comes to matchmaking in MMA is that teammates often refuse to face each other. With only a handful of top-level gyms, people like UFC VP of Talent Relations, Joe Silva, often get headaches when there are several fighters in the same division that train together while ascending to the top of the rankings. With a relatively shallow pool of talent in the UFC’s second-biggest division, it was foreseeable that, eventually, teammates would be put into a position where they would be forced to face each other.

In 2009, following his third straight UFC victory over Jake O’Brien, Jon Jones sought to bring his training to the next level. In August of that year, he joined the Greg Jackson camp, home of many top-level mixed martial artists including Georges St-Pierre, Carlos Condit and, at the time, Rashad Evans.

Evans was already sitting high atop the light heavyweight rankings just after losing the belt to Lyoto Machida. Though his only fight as champion ended with a harsh knockout loss, he was never particularly far from the top contender spot.

Jones, meanwhile, was approaching stardom at a previously unseen rate with his fan-grabbing fighting style that incorporated over-the-top strikes with powerful grappling. As such, when the news hit that Jones was joining Jackson and co., some questions popped up regarding how everyone would fit together.

At the time, things did not seem particularly contentious. Evans already shared the Jackson camp with another at-the-time high-tier light heavyweight, Keith Jardine. The two shared what is possibly the closest relationship between active fighters ever.

When it came to Jones, however, Evans claims that he was not open to the idea of adding another star light heavyweight to the platoon, saying flatly that “Jones was brought in…against my wishes.” Greg Jackson, however, denies this was the case.

Regardless of Evans’ initial reaction, when the two began training together, they seemingly became fast friends, with many pictures taken showing how close they had grown together. The two also continued their winning ways. Rashad put together back-to-back wins over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson, putting him in line to fight then-champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the belt.

Jones, meanwhile, put together a winning streak of his own. While he lost his first bout to Matt Hamill due to a referee technicality in what was an otherwise genuinely lopsided fight, he proceeded to follow this with a devastating TKO of Brandon Vera. Then a quick TKO of Vladimir Matyushenko. Then a convincing victory over the previously unbeaten Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

Fans were shocked when, during Jones’ post-fight interview after besting Bader, it was revealed that Rashad Evans had injured his knee and would not be able face Rua at UFC 128. Jones was offered the opportunity to fill in for Evans and instantly accepted.

This is the point where Jones became a household name, and the point where the relationship between the two fighters sours.

In the buildup to Rua vs. Jones, Jones was fielding questions and was asked if he was willing to face Rashad Evans, should Joe Silva match them against each other. Jones replied that he would be open to this matchup. While this news did not make huge headlines, it irked Evans in a profound way.

The animosity continued to grow when Jones stated, “I absolutely hate when people mention Rashad Evans,” during a UFC 128 conference call. The air of hostility in the Jackson camp was starting to become noticeable.

Jones went on to beat Rua with almost scary ease. Evans was brought into the cage after Jones was belted, and was announced to be his next opponent. He walked out of the cage and started an interview with Ariel Helwani where he matter-of-factly stated, “I’m done with Jacksons.”

The tension was now clear, and there was not a single MMA fan that did not know about the schism between Evans and his former comrades.

Though there were signs that this was coming, it still surprised many. Evans joined Jackson in 2005 after winning the second season of The Ultimate Fighter. Jackson helped Evans become the light heavyweight champion in 2008.

Evans helped make Jackson one of the most sought-after coaches in the sport. Now the two were amidst an ugly, public bridge-burning.

Evans’ criticisms of Jackson were frequent and touched on many different subjects. He said he openly resisted Jones joining the camp. He said that Jackson demonstrated a complete lack of foresight in training a top contender alongside a top prospect. He said that the two of them were growing distant both as friend and mentor. He said the camp as a whole was too big, and had too many members to give fighters the individual attention they deserved.

Worst of all, he said that with Jackson’s refusal to corner him in a fight against Jones, he was not dependable enough as a coach.

While Evans’ gripes with Jackson were largely professional, he attacked Jones on a personal level. It started off slowly, with Evans simply referring to the situation as “awkward” when he made the initial announcement that he was leaving his long-time camp.

This was followed, however, with talk that Evans and Jones got testy with each other in a Las Vegas nightclub. Though initial reports suggested the altercation was physical, or near physical, Evans later claimed that Jones talked smack, then left without incident. Jones has yet to comment on this.

Shortly after this came a controversy over Rashad Evans sending text messages to Jones claiming he was a “fake ass white boy.” Evans denied he sent the messages, but Jones presented his cell phone to media members and confirmed his claim. Evans then admitted he sent the messages amidst a lengthy argument, and in turn criticized Jones’ maturity level, basically accusing Jones of tattling.

All these rumors and headlines provided a great deal of interest for their fight…a fight that did not end up happening. Jones pulled out of what was to be his first title defense at UFC 133 with a hand injury. Evans was then matched against Phil Davis, who was later replaced with Tito Ortiz.

Questions began popping up around Jones’ injury as, shortly after Evans was no longer available as an opponent, he declared that his injury was not as severe as initially thought, and he would be available to fight immediately. He was then quickly matched against Quinton Jackson, who Evans had beaten the previous year.

Evans defeated Ortiz handily and remained the top contender. Jones defeated Jackson handily and remained the champion. The two, once again, were penciled in to face each other, this time at UFC 140. This fight, like the one before it, did not come to pass. Evans, shortly after calling for the fight, backpedaled and said he was unable to get medical clearance due to a thumb injury that would require surgery.

Jon Jones began an offensive just as bitter and vitriolic as anything Evans had said to that point. He started by saying that Evans was “never my friend” and is, in fact, a “jealous snake.” Evans and Jones had a back-and-forth regarding individual sparring and grappling sessions, with both claiming that they had “the number” of the other.

This was followed by claims from Jones that Evans was ducking him (though Evans, unlike Jones, actually went through with surgery). He went on to say that Evans made a foolish PR play by trying to force a fight on short notice and should not be regarded as the top contender after spending a full year benched between his bouts with Quinton Jackson and Tito Ortiz.

The UFC, needing a headline for UFC 140, ended up having Jones square off against Lyoto Machida, who he went on to submit in the second round.

The UFC, hurting for big headline fights in early 2012 due to injuries to Anderson Silva, Junior Dos Santos and Georges St-Pierre (as well as the retirement of Brock Lesnar) went on to schedule Jones’ next title defense for UFC 145 in April 2012. They said that Evans would finally get his fight if he could beat Phil Davis at UFC on FOX 2, and if he could avoid any injury that would prevent him from fighting less than three months later.

Beating Davis, who was 9-0-0 at the time, was an incredibly tall order on its own, but asking Evans to be adequately prepared for another five-round bout less than three months later, at the time, seemed almost impossible.

In what was probably equal parts luck and skill, Evans easily beat Davis and avoided injury, bringing us to this juncture in the rivalry. Evans and Jones are scheduled to fight for the belt April 21, 2012 and their belligerence in the build-up has been as intense as ever. As more interviews happen, expect more headlines to pop up discussing how the two really, really do not like each other.

Even though we have seen Jones and Evans mercilessly fighting for over a year now, we could still see their hatred put aside after the fight. Bitter rivals like Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, Matt Hughes and BJ Penn and, well, Matt Hughes and essentially anybody else he fought, all ended up on friendly terms after fighting and, occasionally, ended up training together afterward.

While Evans and Jones are enemies now for a variety of reasons, it does not mean the two will not come to an understanding after their fight. And with both fighters sitting atop the divisions, do not discount the possibility that the two may fight again.

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UFC on FX 2: Ian McCall and the 8 Best Fighters to Keep an Eye on

Come this Saturday, Ian McCall will be making his UFC debut when he takes on recent title challenger Demetrious Johnson in Sydney, Australia. It’s a culmination of his life’s work as a mixed martial artist. After washing out of the WEC going 1-2, …

Come this Saturday, Ian McCall will be making his UFC debut when he takes on recent title challenger Demetrious Johnson in Sydney, Australia. 

It’s a culmination of his life’s work as a mixed martial artist. After washing out of the WEC going 1-2, McCall has since compiled a four-fight win streak and is widely regarded as the best flyweight in the world.

Now, “Uncle Creepy” will be taking on arguably his toughest test to date in Johnson, though he will now have the opportunity to assert his claim as the best in his class.

Besides McCall, here is a batch of fighters who could be making waves in the MMA world in the near future. 

 

Ian McCall/ Jeff Sherwood for Sherdog.com

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Forgotten Champion: Tim Sylvia’s Desperate Ploy to Get Back in the UFC Octagon

In some sports, former champions live forever as heroes. Even complete mediocrities—think Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer—spend their days and nights in an alternate universe where they are always the conqueror.Coworkers genu…

In some sports, former champions live forever as heroes. Even complete mediocrities—think Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer—spend their days and nights in an alternate universe where they are always the conqueror.

Coworkers genuflect and look on with awe. Men who were bounced from their jobs, even in disgrace, are always referred to, reverently, as “coach,” even decades after they last held a clipboard.

Nostalgia reigns in the world of sports. But not in the UFC. The sport of MMA, like boxing before it, eats its own. There is no graceful return to glory for the sport’s former champions.

Ask Ken Shamrock, still competing in his 40’s to make ends meet. Ask Don Frye, the UFC tournament winner still waiting for a call welcoming him back to the fold as part of the UFC Hall of Fame.

And ask Tim Sylvia, the former UFC heavyweight champion who wants so desperately to return to the Octagon that it makes me hurt for him.

“I’m sick and tired of watching a bunch of bums fight in the UFC,” the 35-year old Sylvia said. “Guys that I know I can beat… They told [manager Monte Cox], ‘Tim needs to keep winning. Keep putting wins together.’ I’ve done that and nothing happened. And there are guys in there I think are absolutely horrible…Yeah, I’ve got an attitude about it. I’m tired of it. I’ve got to make my own destiny.”

Sylvia has launched a Twitter campaign, hoping to get UFC President Dana White‘s attention. The desperation is palpable as Sylvia begs for fans to write to White, then retweets dozens of the messages—every single one of them.

“I’m very surprised how many fans have supported me through this process. And it won’t be done until it happens,” Sylvia said. Despite literally hundreds of messages, White has been uncharacteristically silent on the matter.

“I don’t expect it right off,” Sylvia continued. “It’s only been a week. I think after this goes on weeks, and weeks, and weeks, and weeks, I think something is going to happen. The fans are speaking right now. If the UFC wants to give the fans what they want, it’s going to happen.”

In some ways, this public cry for help is unseemly. It’s one thing for football player Emmitt Smith to spend his last season with the Arizona Cardinals instead of his beloved Dallas Cowboys. It would be quite another for him to go on Twitter to ask for a shot at a team’s practice squad.

Of course, Smith made millions in his NFL career and has the luxury of a retirement package and benefits. As a fighter, Sylvia has none of that. This is his only chance to make a living in the sport. And the clock is ticking.

“I truly believe if I was given the opportunity, I could go all the way to a title shot. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Sylvia said. “I could put five or six wins together in the UFC right now…But the fans need to keep doing what they are doing. Be on my side.”

Poor Tim Sylvia. He’s always wanted to be loved. In his heyday, he was champion twice between 2003 and 2006. He would often seek out fans in Las Vegas casinos, looking for the same kind of adoration he saw heaped out in huge doses to his contemporaries like Chuck Liddell.

But no one loves Goliath.

Every fighter knows fans are fickle. They will turn on a fighter with alarming speed. For Sylvia, a loss to Fedor Emelianenko in just seconds was the beginning. A weight gain that landed him in the super heavyweight division for several fights made things worse. Soon, a fighter who once ruled the UFC’s heavyweight division became a laughingstock.

There were jokes aplenty on message boards and plenty of funny Photoshops. That hurt. Even White and UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta—men Sylvia felt he had a good relationship with when he was the company’s world heavyweight champion in the mid-2000’s—have seemingly turned their backs on him.

White, apparently, doesn’t look back on Sylvia’s reign with any nostalgia at all, calling the division at the time “sh*tty.” When the criticism comes from people you know personally, the knife cuts even deeper.

“Absolutely [it hurts]. It’s very irritating. He never said that when I was there…I thought I had a great relationship with everybody in the UFC,” Sylvia said. “It is hurtful. I busted my a** for years in his fights to become champion, not once, but twice…it’s not my fault the UFC didn’t bring in better guys to the division when I was there. That’s got nothing to do with me. I fought who they put in front of me. I never declined anybody.”

Sylvia has heard the speculation that he’s being used as an object lesson for others in the company. After all, he left the UFC to fight for competing organizations. He cashed some giant checks for fights outside of the promotion—but when Affliction went out of business, Sylvia was left without a home.

Is he part of a broader plan to strike fear into fighters’ hearts? To prevent them from ever considering leaving the UFC to fight elsewhere, knowing they will never be welcomed back? Sylvia doesn’t know for sure, but he does know the UFC has absolute power over whether or not he and others can earn a living in the fight game.

“I don’t know the thought processes of the head honchos at the UFC. But it’s swaying that way,” Sylvia said. “Look at [deposed former UFC champion Josh] Barnett. He’s been top five in the world since he left. Since he beat Randy [Couture]. I don’t think he’s left the top ten. But he hasn’t been in the UFC.”

To Sylvia, the answer to all of these complex problems can be found in 140 characters. Twitter can rescue his career from the fringes of the sport. If only fans will continue to work with him.

“Keep tweeting Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta. They say they aren’t, but I know they are seeing all these tweets,” Sylvia said. “Just keep supporting me. I love you guys. In the past I’ve told fans, ‘If you don’t like me, to hell with you.’ But you know what? If you’re a fan of MMA, I love you no matter what.”

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