Tag: Muhammed Lawal

‘Violent’ King Mo Talks Bellator 123, Pro Wrestling, New Regime

If you ask him, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal will tell you he’s reinvigorated, inspired and ready to “promote violence.” 
The former Division I All-American wrestler entered Bellator MMA’s light heavyweight division fresh off a successful stint in Str…

If you ask him, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal will tell you he’s reinvigorated, inspired and ready to “promote violence.” 

The former Division I All-American wrestler entered Bellator MMA‘s light heavyweight division fresh off a successful stint in Strikeforce that saw him capture the light heavyweight title before losing it via TKO in his first defense. 

Despite his inability to establish a lengthy reign at the top, King Mo was highly regarded ahead of his Bellator debut in January of 2013. With his wrestling talents and ever-evolving, powerful striking game, he looked to be the next big thing for the promotion—a lock to become a champion in short order. 

While he did enter the promotion with a bang, scoring a knockout victory over Przemyslaw Mysiala in the Bellator Season 8 light heavyweight quarterfinals at Bellator 86, he was then knocked out by current 205-pound champion Emanuel Newton in a shocking upset at Bellator 90. From there, King Mo never truly found his groove inside the Bellator cage, going 3-2 since that time. 

Now, however, King Mo has a stable camp in American Top Team in his corner, and he’s ready to go to work. Heading into his Bellator 123 scrap with Dustin Jacoby on Friday, Lawal feels violent and hungry, and he’s out for blood.

“(You can expect) the most violent King Mo,” Lawal told Bleacher Report. “That’s what I’m going to do—promote violence and get that fight done.” 

Part of the reason for Lawal’s rediscovered enthusiasm is the recent shake-up atop the Bellator MMA management mountain. Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney was fired this summer and quickly replaced by former Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker, who has an amicable relationship with Lawal. 

Now, Lawal says Coker is inspiring the same levels of positivity and happiness for Bellator that he did for Strikeforce. 

“It’s not just me, it’s everybody. Everybody seems a little happier,” Lawal said. “There’s a nice buzz among the entire staff at Bellator. It’s just the energy and how you see people when they walk around. They kind of had their heads down before, and now you see them with their head up, and they kind of smile at you. They’re more cheerful.”

In addition to Lawal’s happier demeanor regarding Bellator management, his Bellator 123 scrap with Jacoby will mark the third time the former Strikeforce champ heads to the cage with a full camp at Florida’s esteemed American Top Team behind him. After moving to American Top Team after his decision loss to Newton at Bellator 106, Lawal said he’s found the stability and training he always needed. 

“I have coaches now, and I have bodies,” Lawal said. “Before, I had no bodies. My boxing coach, Jeff Mayweather, went to the hospital, he had surgery for his gallbladder (before the fight with Newton)…So I didn’t have nobody for my whole camp.” 

Now with a full camp and a solid game plan queued up, Lawal is ready to steamroll Jacoby at Bellator 123. While Jacoby is primarily a kickboxer who previously fought under the UFC banner as a middleweight, Lawal does not see the size and power advantage being so obvious. In his eyes, he’s a natural middleweight as well, and the fight will come down to technique, not power. 

“Yeah, people like to say that (about Jacoby), but I’m a natural middleweight,” Lawal said. “Right now, I’m probably about, before practice, I was like 209. I could make 184, easily. I used to wrestle 184. At the Olympic trials, I fought at heavyweight, but I weighed in with my clothes on.

“I can make 184. That’s no problem. So I’m not a big 205’er either. So I’m not looking to size…I got guys at American Top Team who are 185’ers and walk around at 220. I never see 220. Luke Rockhold, he got bigger than me. He’s a 185-pounder. So, I’m small for the weight class, and really, I’m probably a bigger 185-pounder, but I just fight up.” 

As Lawal’s MMA career gets back on track, his pro wrestling career hangs in limbo. As a wrestler for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, Lawal cultivated a respect for the sport, but recent reports from TMZ suggest the promotion will no longer air on Spike TV or perhaps anywhere. 

“I wish I knew (what was happening with TNA),” Lawal said. “I hope they stay on Spike TV, but you never know. Yeah, man, I hope I do (continue to wrestle).” 

In a somewhat surprising statement, Lawal recently took his love for pro wrestling to the extreme, proclaiming that work inside the ring is more difficult than fighting inside the cage. While that possesses a bit of a shock factor at first glance, Lawal clarified this sentiment, saying that pro wrestling requires more preparation and takes a harder toll on the human body. 

“You get two bums, right? Two bums,” Lawal said. “Put them in a cage. You get a fight. You’ll get a fight. You’ll get a fight. It might not be the most technical fight, but you’ll get a fight. Everyone is born with that defense mechanism. You hit me, I hit you back. You kick me, I kick you back. I bite you, I scratch you,  whatever.

“Now, in pro wrestling, you get two bums, put them in the square circle, you would get garbage, absolute garbage…Pro wrestling, you have to learn how to fall, you have to learn how to do moves, you have to learn how to take the moves, you have to learn how to hit the ropes, you have to learn how to jump over or through the ropes.

“You don’t practice the match. While you’re in there, you freestyle the match. People don’t realize that. There’s no rehearsing a match. So, if I would wrestle you, I grab you, and we just wrestle the match right there. You tell a story with the match. You can’t just go out there and throw out some bull, because people won’t buy it.”

Lawal continued, highlighting the brutal effect pro wrestling can take on the body by comparing MMA legend Randy Couture, 51, to wrestling legend Kurt Angle, 45.

“Part two, you get Randy Couture. How old is he? Then you get Kurt Angle, who is the same age as him. Look at their bodies,” Lawal said. “Who is more beat up? In MMA, the referee says, ‘Protect yourself at all times.’ You get tapped. You get tapped out. You can pull guard. You can look for a submission, you can throw a kick. You can push him into the cage.

“But in pro wrestling, guess what? For today’s crowd, you have to do things bigger. Suplexes, throwin’ people over the top ropes, chair shots, tag matches, hardcore matches.

“Guess what? In MMA, you might fight three or four times a year. In pro wrestling, people doing pro wrestling do three matches a week, maybe two matches a week for a whole year.”

In the end, though, King Mo’s next task takes him to the cage, where he’ll be forced to use his kicks, punches, knee, elbows and lifetime of grappling talents to topple Jacoby at Bellator 123. 

With a new regime leading the way, Lawal advises everyone to tune in and check out what’s new with Bellator. The results, he suggests, might just surprise you.

“It’s a new regime,” Lawal said. “I can’t tell nobody what to do, but I can say this: Come see our new changes we have going on. We have Coker. Strikeforce was a great show. Look for Bellator to be an upgraded version of Strikeforce.”

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‘King Mo’ Lawal’s Career Will Be in a Death Spiral If He Loses to Dustin Jacoby

“King Mo” Lawal’s run of unfortunate outcomes has continued its pace for nearly four years. Even though he’s found victory multiple times during that period, his career has not experienced the “boom” that was once expected. Now,…

“King Mo” Lawal‘s run of unfortunate outcomes has continued its pace for nearly four years. Even though he’s found victory multiple times during that period, his career has not experienced the “boom” that was once expected. Now, after serious injuries, being fired from the UFC and a stunning knockout defeat, Muhammed Lawal is at a career crossroads coming into Bellator 123. Dustin Jacoby will be the individual standing across from him and he has the potential to send the former champion’s career into a complete downward spiral.

If “King Mo” could step into a time machine, 2010 would perhaps be his first destination. This was the year when everything was going great for the Las Vegas native. Although things would not end well later on in that calendar, he would win the Strikeforce title from Gegard Mousasi in April of 2010. To this date, this is still the biggest win of his career. Since that point Lawal has not had the easiest of times being the high-level mixed martial artist that many pundits thought he would become. In fact, his career has been quite the letdown.

First, it was the TKO defeat to Rafael Cavalcante where he would lose his only moment of holding a mainstream title. After a win over Roger Gracie he would be forced out of competition due to a knee injury, which would become a recurring issue in his career. In 2012 he would then defeat Lorenz Larkin just to have the win overturned because the Nevada State Athletic Commission would find Drostanolone in his drug-test results, as reported by Ken Pishna and Erik Fontanez of MMA Weekly.

Things would only get worse for the former champion. The UFC would purchase Strikeforce, which would give them access to Lawal fighting in the Octagon, however he would never have the chance to perform for the organization. After his hearing in front of the NSAC he made inflammatory statements towards NSAC Commissioner Pat Lundvall on his Twitter profile (via MMA Mania). That comment would result in his jettison from the organization as a whole as they would not stand by and allow him to make such statements.

Lawal did not stay a free agent for long as Bellator would pick him up and give him an opportunity to become a professional wrestler in TNA Wrestling while competing in in their MMA promotion. The way he was announced into the organization made it seem like the company was expecting him to become a major star. Unfortunately for all the parties involved, that would not occur.

In his second fight for the promotion, “King Mo” would face Emanuel Newton. In the first round of the contest he would eat a spinning back fist that would make Lawal the victim of one of the most played knockouts of 2013. Lawal would come back and win two straight just to be defeated by Newton again; this time in an even more convincing fashion.

Bellator MMA would get another opportunity to feature Lawal dead center as he would face Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Bellator 120. Lawal would suffer a decision defeat but what was worse is that many felt he actually won the bout with his wrestling attack. This would be yet another setback for Lawal that would leave him looking like the odd man out in the pecking order within the company.

Lawal has a winning record with Bellator MMA at 4-3 but he’s yet to defeat any opponent of value. His inability to win the big contests has placed a damper on the outlook of his career. This is where Jacoby enters the picture. At 10-3 Jacoby can actually be called a “UFC Veteran” even though he’s suffered two defeats in the promotion. According to MMA Oddsbreaker, Jacoby will come into the event a +400 underdog to Lawal‘s -600 favorite. Just as the numbers represent, Lawal has everything to lose in this fight.

If Jacoby can pull off the upset victory, which he is capable of doing, “King Mo’s” career would be in jeopardy. As Scott Coker leads Bellator into reshaping itself as a MMA promotion, Lawal‘s value to the organization would be damaged with another defeat. He would also place himself to be cut from the organization if he can’t live up to the standards that were placed on him when signed. To make the matters worse, he would have a difficult time rejoining the professional wrestling world as well. According to TMZ, Spike TV recently canceled TNA Wrestling which means they may not be interested in bringing back their high-price “star.” If he were to lose his slot on the Bellator roster, his opportunities in MMA on the mainstream level would be drastically low.

Injuries, controversy and disappointing performances have plagued Muhammed Lawal‘s career. The former Strikeforce champion is facing a major uphill climb that begins at Bellator 123. The world of professional sports is a fickle place that can turn on an individual with one good or bad performance. If Lawal goes out and earns a win in a drastic, highlight-reel fashion, then he will be on his way to earning the love once again of the MMA community. If not, this may be his last time performing in a mainstream mixed martial arts promotion.

 

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‘King Mo’ Lawal and Quinton Jackson Exchange Twitter Jabs After Rebney’s Exit

The topic of Bjorn Rebney being ousted at Bellator MMA has become a hot topic for fans in social media. Now fighters under Bellator’s umbrella are revealing their thoughts.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson discussed the possibility of retiring …

The topic of Bjorn Rebney being ousted at Bellator MMA has become a hot topic for fans in social media. Now fighters under Bellator‘s umbrella are revealing their thoughts.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson discussed the possibility of retiring earlier today, and while it seemed typical of Jackson to critizise the sport he competes in, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal believes he knows why Jackson wants to hang up the gloves.

If you’ll recall, Lawal believed Rebney was a big fan of Jackson.

Jackson and Lawal fought one another on the first-ever Bellator pay-per-view last month in the light-heavyweight tournament finals. The fight was rather lackluster and Jackson would end up taking a unanimous decision over Lawal.

Normally tournament champions receive a title shot following their victories, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with Jackson. The current Bellator light-heavyweight champ, Emanuel Newton, is a training partner of Jackson’s, and Rampage has made it clear he doesn’t intend to fight his teammate.

Lawal has struggled thus far in his Bellator career, losing twice to Newton and failing to make the impact Bellator had hoped for when they brought him in.

With Jackson already owning victories over Lawal and his teammate the reigning champion, there aren’t that many options available for Rampage. He could bump up to heavyweight but could run into teammate and friend Cheick Kongo should he enter another tournament.

There’s a lot of uncertainty with Bellator right now, so Jackson would be wise to wait out the storm until the company finds a new direction.

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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson Fined, Almost Forced out of Bellator 120 Fight

While the Bellator 120 headlining fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “King” Mo Lawal was a complete dud, the build up to and fallout of the fight have been beyond entertaining. According to MMAFighting.com’s Luke Thomas, though, the fight actu…

While the Bellator 120 headlining fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “King” Mo Lawal was a complete dud, the build up to and fallout of the fight have been beyond entertaining. According to MMAFighting.com’s Luke Thomas, though, the fight actually came dangerously close to not happening.

Talking to the Mississippi Athletic Commission’s Jon Lewis, he revealed that Jackson’s shove of Lawal at the event’s weigh-ins carried a $10,000 fine—something that Jackson did not take kindly to.

“He got very irate and at this point was f-bombing me pretty bad,” Lewis said. He went on to describe Jackson as an “out of control individual to the nth degree.”

Jackson’s behavior, Lewis said, had the Commission turning over the idea of denying Jackson the opportunity to fight at the event. He decided against the move, however, after a discussion with Bellator. 

“Rampage” would go on to apologize off-camera following the fight. He is still on the hook for the fine, however.

For those who missed it, Jackson and Lawal had a heated rivalry entering their bout. They exchanged words early and often, culminating with Jackson giving Lawal a hearty shove at the event’s weigh-ins. 

In spite of the vitriolic build-up to the fight, the bout was generally lethargic. Lawal attempted to wrestle Jackson, who defended competently. In the end, Jackson would get the better end of a relatively controversial unanimous decision.

Jackson hasn’t been the only one getting press since the fight, however. Lawal ripped Bellator President Bjorn Rebney for “d–k-riding” Jackson and giving him preferential treatment. Following the bout, both fighters expressed interest in a rematch, so it is very possible we may see the two of them face off again in the near future. 

Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available.

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King Mo Calls Bjorn Rebney out for ‘D–k Riding’ Rampage Jackson

Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal’s unfiltered tirade aimed at Bjorn Rebney, following a controversial decision loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, may have been the only entertaining part of the Bellator 120 main event.
The Landers…

Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal’s unfiltered tirade aimed at Bjorn Rebney, following a controversial decision loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, may have been the only entertaining part of the Bellator 120 main event.

The Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi was ripe with boos on Saturday night as the five-year feud between Jackson and Lawal ended in a forgettable, 15-minute snooze fest. After the fight, Jackson was awarded a 29-28 decision across the board, which prompted a seething Lawal to call out Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.

“Bjorn, you know what’s up, d–k riding a–. I see you smiling,” Lawal yelled from the microphone in his post-fight interview.

Unfortunately for Bellator, “bumping gums” was the only legitimate entertainment the main event grudge match had to offer.

Lawal seemed more preoccupied with not getting knocked out than actually winning the fight. His entire game plan consisted of backpedaling and clinging on for dear life whenever Jackson closed the distance.

Jackson, on the other hand, was completely outworked in the wrestling department. It’s hard to believe that Jackson was once considered a world class wrestler in MMA. Many of Lawal’s takedowns were telegraphed and had little effort behind them.

After the fight, Jackson asked Rebney for an opportunity to redeem his performance in an immediate rematch with Lawal.

Perhaps the question that should be asked is whether Lawal will even have a job in the coming weeks.

The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ has lost twice to Emmanuel Newton, and he is coming off a lackluster showing against Jackson. Not to mention, he uttered expletives at his boss on live television.

If anything, Rebney could always trade in the suit and tie for some stage boots and wrestling tights. TNA wrestling would be the perfect place to promote his boss vs. employee feud with Lawal.

As for MMA, we would all do just fine to never have to see Jackson vs. Lawal ever again.

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.

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Rampage Jackson vs. ‘King Mo’ Lawal: Twitter Reacts to Main Event

Bellator 120 featured a sloppy main event between two former champions in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “King” Mo Lawal. The bout was hyped up as the biggest grudge match in MMA, but when the cage door was locked and the two squared off, the fight fell…

Bellator 120 featured a sloppy main event between two former champions in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “King” Mo Lawal. The bout was hyped up as the biggest grudge match in MMA, but when the cage door was locked and the two squared off, the fight fell short like so many other similarly billed fights.

Lawal would attack with his wrestling. Jackson did a good enough job defending. In the end, “Rampage” would get a narrow nod from the judges in front of his hometown crowd.

While the main event was something of a dud, it was still a rare time when Bellator got the sole attention of the MMA universe. Naturally, fans, fighters and the media took to Twitter to discuss the bouts.

From the get-go, many aired their dissatisfaction regarding the fight itself:

When the fight was over, the result seemed like a foregone conclusion, with many picking Lawal to have taken the fight:

The scorecards, however, did not agree with that sentiment. Jackson received a unanimous 29-28 nod from the judges, which didn’t sit well with many:

After the scorecards were read, Lawal ripped into Bellator president Bjorn Rebney:

The insults got mixed reactions, but were generally regarded as silly:

While the fight disappointed, Mo might have contributed to MMA folklore with his post-fight eruption. We’ll see how things pan out with both fighters, and with Bellator as a whole.

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