Fighter of the Month: Mo Lawal

“I am a wrestler by trade, but I’m now a fighter.”

Meet Team Quest’s “King Mo” Muhammad Lawal (1-0), Fighters.com’s Fighter of the Month.  Lawal made his much-anticipated MMA debut in Tokyo 28 September with a first-round TKO over heavyweight veteran “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12).

Lawal first spoke to Fighters.com after joining Team Quest in April when, despite his success in amateur wrestling, I advised him to pursue a measured path through the sport.

He wisely ignored me.  Despite Wiuff’s ten-fight win streak and having knocked out “Ironhead” Kazuyuki Fujita (15-7) for the first time ever in his previous fight, Lawal jumped right in to MMA.

Lawal told Fighters.com last weekend, “The only hesitation and discussion [about fighting Wiuff] came from the haters, naysayers, and the people that picked me to lose.  I was confident and felt good.  It was a dream come true for me to fight and even better to make my debut in Japan.”

Before MMA, Lawal was a 1999 Texas wrestling champion from Plano East High School, a 2002 NCAA Division II champion from Central Oklahoma, and won the U.S. Nationals in freestyle wrestling at 84 kg/185 lbs in April by beating Andy Hrovat 1-1, 1-0 in the finals.

After winning Nationals, Lawal told USA Wrestling, “Ever since I started wrestling I wanted to be the best.  I wanted to reach the highest level in the sport and I know I can do that by winning a gold medal in the Olympics.  That’s all I’ve wanted to do for a long time: win the Olympics.”

He seemed comfortably on his way to Beijing.

But, at the Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas 15 June, Hrovat would resurface to shatter Lawal’s Olympic dreams with a two-point takedown with seven seconds remaining in the tie-breaking third period.

“It was a li’l controversial; but, Hrovat won,” Lawal admitted, but also complained, “There were a few questionable calls in the second match that went against me.”

It was close.  Lawal scored two one-point takedowns to even the score in the third period; but, Hrovat won the period and match with his two-pointer, taking the match by scores 0-1, 1-0, 2-2.

“I’ma be real wit’ you.  When it was all said and done, I was just tired of dedicating my life to being broke,” Lawal confided.  “[Losing] wasn’t a heart breaker really.  I had beat the 2008 Olympic champ before.  I’m much happier fighting.  It’s a dream to have this as a job!”

It wasn’t just who Lawal made his fighting debut versus, but how he finished his first professional fight that was impressive.

The wrestler out-boxed the mixed martial arts veteran of 65 fights, knocking Wiuff to the ropes with a Superman punch.

“Melchor Menor taught me [the Superman punch],” Lawal said.  “I knew how to do it, but I was doin’ it wrong.  He helped me improve it.

“I worked on my hands for five weeks wit’ Melchor Menor at Lava Fitness and two weeks with Justin Fortune at Fortune Gym.  These are world class trainers here.”

Besides Menor and Fortune, Lawal told Fighters.com in April, “I’ve sparred with Sokoudjou, Cyrille 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.”

And, Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3) has taken note too, inviting Lawal to train with him in Boston.

Lawal intends to accept that invitation, saying, “Y’all call him “KenFlo”; but, I call him “Pimpin’ Ken”!  He is my boy.  I got so much respect for him. I’ve learned a lot from him about the MMA game.”

The transition from wrestling to the MMA game hasn’t been all glory for Lawal.

“It’s all hard,” Lawal admits.  “Having to blend it all together for sparring is tough.  It’s a different pace.  Wrestlin’ matches ain’t nearly as long as a fight.  Ain’t no timeouts unless it’s for a cut or low blow.”

And. Lawal alluded to “the haters” after his big win in Tokyo and told Fighters.com, “I’m not gonna say any names, but there are a lot of people that would love to see me fail.  They give me extra motivation to prove them wrong.  They think I am brash and arrogant.  I might be, but I train hard and that gives me the right to be that way. You don’t gotta like me.”

Maybe it’s “King Mo” that “the haters” want to see fail.  Lawal entered his first MMA fight with that moniker and flanked by four models.

“My boy, Kami, gave me that name two years ago.  I’m known for doin’ thangs that ain’t traditional.  I wanna set trends.  I’m try’na have fun.”

Besides fun, Lawal ranked his MMA goals this way: “Respect, honor, money – GDP (get dat paper), and fame.”