Muhammed Lawal

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For the Nigerian governor of Ogun and then Kwara states, see Mohammed Lawal.
Muhammed Lawal
Muhammed Lawal in Los Angeles, on April 15, 2012
Born (1981-01-11) January 11, 1981 (age 43)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.
Other namesKing Mo
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
DivisionLight Heavyweight (205 lb)
Heavyweight (265 lb)
Reach78 in (198 cm)
StyleWrestling, Boxing
Fighting out ofSan Jose, California
TeamAmerican Kickboxing Academy
RankNCAA Division II Wrestling
Years active2008–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total10
Wins8
By knockout6
By decision2
Losses1
By knockout1
No contests1
Other information
UniversityOklahoma State University
University of Central Oklahoma
Notable school(s)Plano East Senior High School
Websitehttp://www.kingmo.us/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: April 18, 2011
Muhammed Lawal
Medal record
Representing  United States
Men's freestyle wrestling
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2007 Krasnoyarsk -96 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 San Salvador -96 kg
United States Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Las Vegas -84 kg
Silver medal – second place 2007 Las Vegas -96 kg
Gold medal – first place 2006 Las Vegas -84 kg
Gold medal – first place 2005 Las Vegas -84 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Las Vegas -84 kg

Adekunle Muhammed Lawal[1] (born January 11, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is signed with Bellator Fighting Championships as an MMA fighter, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a wrestler.

He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Nicknamed King Mo, he is a former three-time U.S. Senior National Wrestling Champion. He wrestled at the University of Central Oklahoma for three years ('00, '01, '02), winning one NCAA division II national championship in 2002, and compiling an overall record of 103-22.[2]

Wrestling

After finishing with an NCAA Division 2 National Championship in 2002, Mo moved on to Division 1 for his senior year of college. Lawal became a Big 12 Conference champion and Division 1 All-American in 2003 for Oklahoma State,where he finished in third place for the 197 pound division. He was also the University Freestyle National Champion at 185 pounds this year.

After college Lawal moved on to enter the newly formed Real Pro Wrestling league and became the champion of the 184 pound weight class in 2004. He also moved on to become the Senior U.S. National Champion in freestyle wrestling three times, 2005, 2006 and 2008. For over three years, Lawal was the number 1 ranked wrestler in the United States in the 84 kilogram division.[3]

After narrowly missing entrance to the 2008 Olympics, for which he was favored a spot, Lawal decided to enter the world of Mixed Martial Arts.[4][5]

Mixed martial arts

Japan

In his 2008 mixed martial arts debut at Sengoku 5, Lawal fought Travis Wiuff, a veteran of 66 fights at the time, knocking him out in the first round.[6]

At Sengoku 6, Lawal fought Fabio Silva on November 1, 2008, defeating him in the third round via strikes.[7]

On January 4, 2009 Lawal faced Yukiya Naito at Sengoku Rebellion 2009, defeating him in the first round with punches.[8]

On March 20, 2009 at Sengoku 7, Lawal defeated Ryo Kawamura by unanimous decision. His first time going the distance, Lawal attributed his performance to a knee injury obtained about a week before the fight, "I kinda tweaked it rolling around [with Dean Lister], and I tried to rehab it as much as I could before the fight."[9]

M-1 Global

On August 28, 2009 Lawal fought for the first time on U.S. soil against Mark Kerr at M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough. Lawal defeated Kerr by technical knockout 25 seconds into the fight.[10]

Strikeforce

On October 13, 2009, it was announced that Lawal had signed a multi-fight contract with U.S. based promotion Strikeforce. The contract allowed him to continue fighting in the Japanese circuit where he has gained his notoriety.

On December 19 at Strikeforce: Evolution Lawal fought Mike Whitehead, defeating him three minutes and eight seconds into round one via KO (punches). Lawal came in showing relaxed hands and strong counter punching and caught Whitehead with a strong right which dropped him. Lawal followed up with three punches causing the referee to stop the fight.

On April 17, 2010, Lawal defeated Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision to win the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

Lawal lost the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship in Houston Texas, on August 21, against Rafael Cavalcante by TKO due to punches and elbows of 1:14 of round 3.

Lawal was out of action until mid 2011 after undergoing surgery to repair a knee injury.[11]

Lawal was scheduled to fight Roger Gracie at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson on July 30, 2011. Gracie, however, withdrew from the bout in late June due to an injury.[12] The fight was rescheduled for Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov on Sept. 10, 2011, and Lawal won via KO in the first round.

Lawal garnered his second straight victory, defeating previously unbeaten Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine via second round KO. However, Lawal tested positive for anabolic steroids (Drostanolone) and as a result of the banned substance, the fight's result has been changed to a no contest while Lawal will have his license suspended for one year.[13] After meeting with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on March 27, 2012 his suspension was reduced to nine months.[14]

Lawal was released from Strikeforce following comments he made on Twitter regarding Pat Lundvall after his hearing for his drug test. Lawal said, "She asked if I did research for my training. I didn't get what she meant by the question, and she rolled her eyes and asked, 'Do you speak English? Can you read?' I felt I was disrespected by the woman's comments. How are you going to ask a college educated, well traveled man if he can speak or read English? I'm speaking English right in front of you and I've been speaking English right in front of you for the past 15 minutes."[15][16] After the release, Lawal issued an apology to Lundvall, stating, "I was out of line for calling the woman the b-word and I was wrong for that. I was kind of mad about the comments, I was offended by the comments made towards me and I was out of line. I was too emotional. I apologize for that. With that being said, I still feel that I was offended, but I'm in the wrong for what I said."[17]

Bellator

On May 10, 2012, it was reported that Lawal had signed a contract with the mixed martial arts promotion Bellator Fighting Championships.[18]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
10 matches 8 wins 1 loss
By knockout 6 1
By submission 0 0
By decision 2 0
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
NC 8–1 (1) Lorenz Larkin NC (overturned by NSAC) Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine January 7, 2012 2 1:32 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Original win via KO; result overturned after Lawal tested positive for Drostanolone.
Win 8–1 Roger Gracie KO (punches) Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov September 10, 2011 1 4:37 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Loss 7–1 Rafael Cavalcante TKO (punches and elbows) Strikeforce: Houston August 21, 2010 3 1:14 Houston, Texas, United States Lost Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 7–0 Gegard Mousasi Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Nashville April 17, 2010 5 5:00 Nashville, Tennessee, United States Won Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 6–0 Mike Whitehead KO (punches) Strikeforce: Evolution December 19, 2009 1 3:08 San Jose, California, United States Heavyweight bout.
Win 5–0 Mark Kerr KO (punches) M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough August 28, 2009 1 0:25 Kansas City, Kansas, United States Heavyweight bout.
Win 4–0 Ryo Kawamura Decision (unanimous) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 7 March 20, 2009 3 5:00 Tokyo, Japan
Win 3–0 Yukiya Naito TKO (punches) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku no Ran 2009 January 4, 2009 1 3:54 Saitama, Japan
Win 2–0 Fabio Silva TKO (punches) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 6 November 1, 2008 3 0:41 Saitama, Japan Heavyweight bout.
Win 1–0 Travis Wiuff TKO (punches) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 5 September 28, 2008 1 2:11 Tokyo, Japan Heavyweight bout.

Professional wrestling

Muhammed Lawal
Born (1981-01-11) January 11, 1981 (age 43)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee [19]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)King Mo
Billed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) [20]
Billed weight205 lb (93 kg) [20]
Billed fromSan Jose, California [20]
Trained byOhio Valley Wrestling [21]

Lawal was a professional wrestling fan from an early age.[21] Upon graduating from college, Lawal was offered a contract by the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment. Lawal spent a week at Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory, before ultimately rejecting the contract offer, instead opting to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.[22][23]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

In May 2012, upon signing with Bellator Fighting Championships, Lawal also signed a separate contract with the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), with the intention of simultaneously pursuing careers in mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.[19][23] Lawal stated that he expected to appear with TNA "two or three times a month or whenever they can book me" and that "if I have a fight coming up, I won’t be doing shows or taping".[21][24] In September 2012, it was reported that Lawal would train as a professional wrestler at Ohio Valley Wrestling, TNA's developmental territory in Louisville, Kentucky.[21]

Lawal made his first appearance in TNA on the October 4, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling.[25] He went on to serve as a special guest enforcer for a street fight between Bobby Roode and James Storm at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view on October 14, 2012.[26]

In wrestling

Personal life

Lawal's parents are immigrants from Nigeria. Lawal was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He has a younger brother named Abdullah and a younger sister named Aminat. The three were raised by a single mother, "My mom [Nike Rosseau] pretty much raised us all. My dad was never around." Muhammed's father committed suicide when Lawal was twenty years old.[28]

After his fight with Larkins, Lawal was diagnosed with Staphylococcus obtained from knee surgery. Lawal had a fever of 103 degrees, and the infection ate away at parts of his hip and legs, "I had this moment where I was like, man, I can see my hip bone. I was ripped still. I had an eight-pack. But there's my hip bone. I looked at my leg, and it looked like those zombies from The Walking Dead.I feel like I looked death in the face, and I survived."[29][30][31]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts

Professional wrestling

Amateur wrestling

  • International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
    • 2007 Hargobind International Tournament Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2007 Alexander Medved International Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
    • 2007 Pan American Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2007 World Cup Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
    • 2007 Takhti Cup Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2006 Golden Grand Prix Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
    • 2006 Uzbekistan Independence Cup Golden Grand Prix Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2006 Yasar Dogu International Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2006 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2005 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
    • 2004 Clan International Championships Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
    • 2004 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
    • 2004 FILA Manitoba Open Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
    • 2003 Sunkist Kids International Open Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
  • USA Wrestling
    • USA Senior Freestyle National Championship (2005, 2006, 2008)
    • USA Senior Freestyle National Championship Runner-up (2007)
    • USA Senior Freestyle National Championship 3rd Place (2004)
    • USA University Freestyle National Championship (2003)
    • 2008 USA Olympic Team Trials Senior Freestyle Runner-up
    • 2007 FILA World Team Trials Senior Freestyle Runner-up
    • 2006 NYAC Christmas Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
    • 2005 FILA World Team Trials Senior Freestyle Winner
    • 2004 NYAC Christmas Championships Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist

See also

References

  1. ^ http://boxing.nv.gov/2012%20Results%20Web/01-07-12%20MMA.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.okstate.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/041803aaf.html
  3. ^ http://www.mmalinker.com/wiki/index.php/Muhammed_Lawal#Wrestling
  4. ^ "Most Popular". CNN.
  5. ^ http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/muhammed-lawal-king-mo
  6. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muhammed_Lawal&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro
  7. ^ http://mmajunkie.com/news/13140/sengoku-6-results-gomi-upset-santiago-and-kitaoka-win-grand-prix-crowns.mma
  8. ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Sengoku-Seventh-Battle-PlaybyPlay-15667
  9. ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/King-Mo-Reigns-in-Seventh-Battle-Main-Event-16658
  10. ^ http://www.sherdog.com/blog/Lawal-Mauls-Kerr-Fedor-Submits-Mousasi-at-M1-19385
  11. ^ Sherdog.com. "Manager: Lawal Out 9 Months for Knee Surgery". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  12. ^ "Roger Gracie withdraws from Strikeforce bout with Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal KNOCKED ROGER THE EFF OUT DOE". mmajunkie.com. 2011-06-25.
  13. ^ "Strikeforce's 'King Mo' Lawal tests positive for anabolic steroid, fighter denies use". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  14. ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Nevada-Commission-Hands-King-Mo-9Month-Suspension-Changes-Jan-7-Victory-to-No-Contest-41395
  15. ^ http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/3/27/2907280/muhammad-king-mo-lawal-responds-to-nsac-suspension-explains-twitter
  16. ^ http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/3/27/2907539/muhammed-king-mo-lawal-responds-zuffa-strikeforce-ufc-release-exclusive-interview
  17. ^ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1127722-muhammed-king-mo-lawal-issues-apology-to-commissioner-pat-lundvall
  18. ^ Caldwell, James (2012-05-10). "TNA/MMA News: Press Release - King Mo joins TNA and Bellator as part of two separate deals". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
  19. ^ a b c "King Mo, Bellator & TNA Join Forces For Unprecedented Alliance On SpikeTV". ImpactWrestling.com. 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  20. ^ a b c "King Mo". ImpactWrestling.com. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Fishman, Scott (September 4, 2012). "King Mo Muhammed Lawal with Bellator Fighting, TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  22. ^ Caldwell, James (May 10, 2012). "TNA News: King Mo talks decision to join TNA, influence of Sting & Hogan, TNA stars he wants to work with, will he face MMA fighter in TNA?". Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  23. ^ a b Bishop, Matt (May 11, 2012). "MMA fighter and life-long wrestling fan 'King Mo' to begin TNA career". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
  24. ^ Caldwell, James (May 18, 2012). "King Mo reveals TNA schedule". Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  25. ^ Caldwell, James (2012-10-04). "Caldwell's TNA Impact results 10/4: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact - King Mo's TV debut, Aries-Hardy latest PPV hype". PWTorch.com. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
  26. ^ Caldwell, James (2012-10-14). "Caldwell's TNA Bound for Glory PPV results 10/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV - Aries vs. Hardy, Storm vs. Roode". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  27. ^ "10/3 TNA Conference Call with Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal: King Mo answers questions on being in TNA and Bellator, his role in the Bobby Roode vs. James Storm match, learning to wrestle, and more". ProWrestling.net. October 23, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  28. ^ http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-magazine/mma-article.asp?aid=513&issid=36
  29. ^ http://www.mmamania.com/2012/2/20/2812628/king-mo-life-threatening-staph-infection-health-scare-mma
  30. ^ "Lawal's fight back from infection, positive drug test just beginning". CNN. March 23, 2012.
  31. ^ http://www.thescore.com/mma/articles/216746-strikeforce-king-mo-lawal-to-undergo-knee-surgery

External links

Preceded by 4th Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion
April 17, 2010 – August 21, 2010 		Succeeded by

Template:Persondata

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