MMA Gaining Mo
Posted by Chad Edward on April 6th, 2008Last month the So Cal Team Quest camp announced the addition of “Mo” Muhammed Lawal (0-0), a championship wrestler making a gold run at the Beijing Summer Olympics.
Lawal answered a few questions for Fighters.com; and, the first question I always ask wrestlers with MMA aspirations is whether they’ve ever been punched in the face.
“I have been punched and kicked in the face,” Lawal answered.
It’s a silly question until you’ve watched tough bastards who’ve avoided fist fights on reputation and appearance cower after taking a few hard shots to the dome.
No one likes to get punched in the face. It’s a skill.
Lawal has chosen the right path to pick-up the skills wrestlers before him have learned to be MMA champions.
“I want to be a fighter,” Lawal claimed. “Not just a wrestler. I love MMA and I’m an avid student of the MMA game.
“I’ve sparred with Sokoudjou, Cyril Diabate, Dan Hendo’, Chael Sonnen, Matt Lindland, Brian Stann, Alberto Crane, Mark Bocek and a few others. I’ve trained with Matt and Dan, also GSP and Nathan Marquardt.”
Lawal has a legit’ shot at Olympic gold in Beijing, which would be great for MMA, but could be terrible for Mo.
Entering the sport as the big show could prevent Lawal from touring the small-ball circuits that prepare rookies for the big shows.
See Brock Lesnar (1-1). The former wrestling champion has all the physical talent to rule MMA’s weak heavyweight division…eventually. Because of his celebrity, he took only one warm-up versus “Mr. Shark” Min Soo Kim (3-6) before former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (11-3) taught the rookie what a kneebar is in an anti-climactic minute-and-a-half. Lesnar already has another former UFC champ on his docket, “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8).
But, Lawal seemed aware of the error in Lesnar’s ways, saying, “I knew Brock would lose due to the inexperience factor with submissions. It changes my attitude with the fact that I’m going to strive harder to be a well-rounded fighter.”
Lawal has high aspirations. “I want to do everything Dan [Henderson] has done and more. I want to fight at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. I want to be an MMA legend.”
He may first make himself an Olympic legend. He’s ranked third in the U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings at 211.5-pounds, but said, “I am dropping back down to [185-pounds] for wrestling.”
Lawal gives MMA fans more reasons to watch the combat sport events at this summer’s Olympics. Besides Lawal, could there be a future MMA star among the wrestlers? The judoka? Beijing has added San Shou to the 2008 exhibition schedule, the base martial art of new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le (6-0).
pancrase said:
Any idea where he plans to fight?
Chad Edward said:
He plans to fight in the UFC; but, I think he’s focused on the Olympics through August, then will make decisions about his MMA future.
My concern is that he’ll get ahead of himself as wrestlers, boxers, and even judoka have before him. He should take a slow path to big game, like Cung Le has.