Oklahoma State Cowboys The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Stillwater. ...

Central Oklahoma Bronchos The Central Oklahoma Bronchos, often referred to as Central Oklahoma, Central State or UCO, are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing University of Central Oklahoma, located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The 14 men's and women's varsity teams ar ...

Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to

Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...

. As a

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, he is a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion.

Early life

Lawal was raised along with his siblings by a single

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

mother. Growing up Lawal was a fan of

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

and began competing in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

Plano East Senior High School Plano East Senior High School (commonly known as East, Plano East, or PESH) is a public secondary school in Plano, Texas (USA) serving high school juniors and seniors, as well as freshmen and sophomores as a part of the IB World School (beginni ...

Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County, Texas, Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Hist ...

. As a junior Lawal won a state title in the

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...

category and also finished as a state runner-up. During his senior season Lawal went undefeated and became a state champion after defeating 171 pound favorite Barrett Lidji. Lawal also competed in

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, earning All-District honors as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

during his junior season and as a wide receiver in his senior season. Lawal also lettered in

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

. Lawal went on to compete in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division II

at the

University of Central Oklahoma The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...

. He finished in 2nd place in the nation in 2001 and was a national champion in 2002. For his senior year Lawal moved on to Division I at

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

. Lawal became a

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

Champion and Division I

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n in 2003 for

Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, where he finished in third place for the 197 pound division. Lawal was also the university freestyle national champion at 185 pounds that year. After college Lawal continued his wrestling career at the senior level. He also competed in the newly formed

Real Pro Wrestling Real Pro Wrestling (also known as RPW or RealPro Wrestling) was a professional sports league of wrestling, similar to the amateur wrestling found in the Olympic Games and at the college and high school level. The term "real" was meant to emp ...

league and became the champion of the 184 pound weight class in 2004. He won the Senior U.S. national championship in freestyle wrestling three times - in 2005, 2006 and 2008. He also represented the U.S. at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships, where he finished in 7th place. He controversially lost his match to

Sazhid Sazhidov Sazhid Khalilrakhmanovich Sazhidov (russian: Сажид Халилрахманович Сажидов; born 6 February 1980) is a Russian Olympic wrestler who represented his country at the world-level from 2003 to 2006. He won the bronze medal ...

of Russia when he was penalized a point for passivity with 1 second remaining in a match he was winning, giving Sazhidov the win.

Revaz Mindorashvili Revaz Mindorashvili ( ka, რევაზ მინდორაშვილი, born July 1, 1976) is a Georgian wrestler, who has won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games ...

would be the gold medalist at these games, a wrestler Lawal has defeated. For over three years, Lawal was the number one ranked wrestler in the United States in the 84 kilogram division. After narrowly missing entrance to the 2008 Olympics in a loss to

Andy Hrovat Andy Hrovat (born January 21, 1980) is an American wrestler who specializes in freestyle wrestling. He was a 3-time NCAA All-American and wrestled in the 2008 Olympic Games. High school career Hrovat wrestled scholastically at St. Edward Hig ...

, for which he was favored a spot, Lawal decided to enter the world of mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

World Victory Road

In his 2008

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

debut at Sengoku 5, Lawal fought

Travis Wiuff Travis James Wiuff (born March 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2001 and a longtime veteran of the sport, Wiuff has competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Bellat ...

, a veteran of 66 fights at the time, knocking him out in the first round. At Sengoku 6, Lawal fought Fábio Silva on November 1, 2008, defeating him in the third round via strikes. On January 4, 2009 Lawal faced Yukiya Naito at World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku no Ran 2009, defeating him in the first round with punches. On March 20, 2009 at Sengoku 7, Lawal defeated

Ryo Kawamura is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and the former executive president of Pancrase Inc. A professional MMA competitor from 2005 until 2014, Kawamura most notably competed for Pancrase, where he is the former King of Panc ...

by unanimous decision. His first time going the distance, Lawal attributed his performance to a knee injury sustained about a week before the fight, "I kinda tweaked it rolling around ith_Dean_Lister.html"_;"title="Dean_Lister.html"_;"title="ith_Dean_Lister">ith_Dean_Lister">Dean_Lister.html"_;"title="ith_Dean_Lister">ith_Dean_Lister_and_I_tried_to_rehab_it_as_much_as_I_could_before_the_fight."

_M-1_Global

On_August_28,_2009_Lawal_fought_for_the_first_time_on_U.S._soil_against_Mark_Kerr_(fighter).html" ;"title="Dean_Lister">ith_Dean_Lister.html" ;"title="Dean_Lister.html" ;"title="ith Dean Lister">ith Dean Lister">Dean_Lister.html" ;"title="ith Dean Lister">ith Dean Lister and I tried to rehab it as much as I could before the fight."

M-1 Global

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

Strikeforce

On October 13, 2009, it was announced that Lawal had signed a multi-fight contract with U.S. based promotion

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

. 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 Michael Joe Whitehead (born June 29, 1981) is a former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight weight classes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Mixed martia ...

, 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 Gegard Mousasi (born 1 August 1985), is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, currently competing in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. As of December 13, 2022, he is #10 in the Bellator MMA ...

by unanimous decision to win the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship. Lawal lost the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, on August 21, against

Rafael Cavalcante Rafael Cavalcante (born 5 April 1980) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is currently competing for Bellator MMA. He trains with Anderson Silva and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira as part of the Black ...

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. Lawal was scheduled to fight

Roger Gracie Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes; 26 September, 1981) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and former professional Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor. The son of coral belt Mauricio Gomes and grandson of BJJ founder Carlos Gracie, ...

at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson on July 30, 2011. Gracie, however, withdrew from the bout in late June due to an injury. 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 Lorenz Larkin (born September 3, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2009, Larkin formerly competed for Strikeforce and the Ulti ...

at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine via second-round KO. However, Lawal tested positive for anabolic steroids (

Drostanolone Drostanolone, or dromostanolone, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) group which was never marketed. An androgen ester prodrug of drostanolone, drostanolone propionate, was formerly used in the treatment ...

) 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. After meeting with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on March 27, 2012 his suspension was reduced to nine months. Lawal was released from

following comments he made on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

regarding

Pat Lundvall Patricia Lundvall is an American lawyer and former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). She was called to the bar in Nevada and became the first female chair of the NSAC. Early life Lundvall grew up in Oakland, Nebraska ...

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." 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."

Bellator MMA

On May 10, 2012, it was reported that Lawal had signed a contract with the mixed martial arts promotion

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

. On January 24, 2013, Lawal made his Bellator debut as a participant in the Season 8 light heavyweight tournament. He defeated Przemyslaw Mysiala in the quarterfinal round via right hook. Lawal faced

Emanuel Newton Emanuel Newton (born February 1, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division, where he is a former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. He has also competed for WEC, King of the ...

in the semifinals on February 21, 2013 at

Bellator 90 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. Despite being a considerable favorite, Lawal lost via KO due to a spinning back fist in the first round. Lawal faced

Seth Petruzelli Seth Christopher Petruzelli (born December 3, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and entrepreneur. Petruzelli competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions for the UFC, WEC, Eli ...

in the opening round of a 4-man tournament at

Bellator 96 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

on June 19, 2013, he won the fight by KO due to a punch in full guard at 1:35 of the first round. Lawal next faced

Jacob Noe Jacob Noe (born July 29, 1980) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor from 2000 until 2013, he also competed for Strikeforce. Background Noe was born in ...

Bellator 97 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

in the light heavyweight tournament final. He won via TKO due to punches in round three to win the Bellator 2013 Summer Series light heavyweight tournament. Lawal faced Emanuel Newton in a rematch for the Interim Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship on November 2, 2013 at

Bellator 106 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

. Lawal lost via unanimous decision. Lawal entered into the Bellator season ten light heavyweight tournament on February 28, 2014. He faced

Mikhail Zayats Mikhail Zayats (russian: Михаил Заяц;born October 14, 1981) is an ethnic Russian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. He has also competed in M-1 Global. According to the ...

in the semifinals at

Bellator 110 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight, ...

and won the fight via unanimous decision. He faced

Quinton Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middlew ...

in the tournament final for a title shot. He lost the fight via controversial unanimous decision. Muhammed Lawal was scheduled to fight

Tom DeBlass Tom DeBlass (born May 14, 1982) is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, submission grappler and mixed martial artist currently signed to ONE Championship. He has competed in the middleweight division for Bellator and the Ultimate Fig ...

on September 5, 2014 at

Bellator 123 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

; however, Tom DeBlass suffered a knee injury and was forced off the card. Lawal was expected to fight replacement Marcus Sursa at Bellator 123; however instead faced

Dustin Jacoby Dustin Jacoby (born April 4, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist and kickboxer who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In kickboxing, he has competed for GLORY, and in MMA, he has competed also for Bellator, World Se ...

. Lawal won the fight via TKO in the second round. Lawal was again expected to face Tom DeBlass on November 15, 2014 at

Bellator 131 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

. However, on November 1, it was announced that Deblass had suffered a cut during training and had to withdraw from the bout. Lawal eventually faced

Joe Vedepo Jody David VeDepo is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, he has formerly competed for the UFC and Bellator. Background Born and raised in the smal ...

. He won via TKO due to punches in the third round. Lawal faced

Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo is a French heavyweight Mixed Martial artist and former Kickboxer who fights in Bellator MMA. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of May 10, 2022, he is #4 in the ...

in a heavyweight bout on February 27, 2015 at

Bellator 134 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

. He won the fight by split decision. Lawal was next a participant in Bellator's one-night light heavyweight tournament at Bellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 on September 19, 2015. He faced

Linton Vassell Linton Vassell (born 3 June 1983) is an English mixed martial artist, who competes in the Heavyweight division of Bellator. A professional since 2008, he has also competed for UCMMA and Cage Warriors. He is the former UCMMA Light Heavyweight ...

in the opening round and won by unanimous decision. However, Lawal was unable to advance to the finals due to a rib injury. Lawal faced Phil Davis at Bellator 154 on May 14, 2016. The bout was to determine the next challenger for champion

Liam McGeary Liam McGeary (born 4 October 1982) is an English professional mixed martial artist who competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. He is a former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. Mixed martial arts career Early career McGe ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Lawal faced

Satoshi Ishii is a Japanese-born judoka, mixed martial artist, kickboxer and submission grappler who has held Croatian citizenship since 2019. Ishii won the gold medal in Olympic Judo at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, a silver medal at the ...

at Bellator 169 on December 16, 2016. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Lawal faced Quinton Jackson in a rematch at Bellator 175 on March 31, 2017. He won the fight via unanimous decision, thus avenging his previous loss to Jackson. Post-fight, it was announced Lawal would face

Ryan Bader Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan DuWayne Bader (born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, a ...

at Bellator 180. However, Lawal pulled out of the bout in April and was replaced by Phil Davis. Lawal was expected to face Liam McGeary at Bellator 185 on October 20, 2017. However, he pulled out of the bout on October 2 due to an undisclosed injury. Lawal faced Ryan Bader in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix for the Bellator Heavyweight championship at Bellator 199 on May 12, 2018. He lost the fight via TKO just 15 seconds into the first round. Lawal faced former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion Liam McGeary at Bellator 213 on December 15, 2018. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round.

RIZIN Fighting Federation Tournament

On November 6, 2015,

RIZIN Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF or Rizin) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Rizin was founded to be the spir ...

announced that Lawal would represent Bellator in 8-man tourney at New Year's Eve Rizin card in Japan. His first opponent was initially supposed to be

BAMMA BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ire ...

heavyweight champ Mark Godbeer, but he eventually faced

Brett McDermott Brett McDermott (born 10 September 1978) is an English mixed martial artist, and former professional rugby league footballer. In rugby he represented Ireland, and played club level for every Cumbrian clubs except Carlisle Border Raiders. In MMA, ...

. Lawal won the fight via knockout in the first round. He faced Teodoras Aukstuolis in the semi-final round on December 31, 2015 and won via unanimous decision after two rounds. In the tournament finals, Lawal faced

Jiří Procházka Jiří Procházka (; ; born October 14, 1992) is a Czech mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was the i ...

and won the fight via knockout in the first round. On December 29, 2016, Lawal returned to Rizin FF as a participant in the Openweight Grand-Prix, replacing an injured

Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei César da Silva ( , , ; born 3 July 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist who competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He holds the record for the ...

in a bout against

Mirko Cro Cop Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro ...

. Lawal lost to Cro Cop via TKO in the second round.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 21–10 (1) , Andrew Kapel , KO (punches) , Bellator 233 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:22 , Thackerville,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–9 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , Rizin 15 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:02 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 21–8 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 213 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:53 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–7 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 199 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–6 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 175 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–6 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , Rizin World Grand Prix 2016: 2nd Round , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:41 ,

Saitama, Japan is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 1 ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 20–5 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 169 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dublin, Ireland Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 19–5 (1) , Phil Davis , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 154 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4 (1) ,

, KO (punch) , rowspan=2, Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 2 - Iza , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:09 , rowspan=2,

, , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 (1) , Teodoras Aukstuolis , Decision (unanimous) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 (1) ,

, KO (punch) , Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 1 - Saraba , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 9:20 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 (1) ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:39 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:13 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

Bellator 120 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Southaven, Mississippi Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–3 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:51 ,

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, New Mexico, Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into north ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 (1) ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 (1) ,

, KO (spinning back fist) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

West Valley City, Utah West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 140,230 at the 2020 census, making it the second-largest city in Utah. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quic ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 (1) , Przemyslaw Mysiala , KO (punch) ,

Bellator 86 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:52 ,

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 8–1 (1) ,

, NC (overturned) , Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:32 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, KO (punch) , Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , Strikeforce: Houston , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:14 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Nashville , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,

, KO (punches) , Strikeforce: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:08 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Mark Kerr , KO (punches) , M-1 Global: Breakthrough , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 7 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Yukiya Naito , TKO (punches) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku no Ran 2009 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:54 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Fábio Silva , TKO (punches) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:41 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 ,

, Japan ,

World Championship matches

, - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event ! Location ! Notes , - , Loss , 2-1 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 1–0, 0–1, 1–1 , style="font-size:88%", 2005-09-26 , style="font-size:88%", 2005 World Wrestling Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;",

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;", , - , Win , 2-0 , Ruslan Sumenkov , style="font-size:88%", 6–0, 1–0 , style="font-size:88%", 2005-09-26 , style="font-size:88%", 2005 World Wrestling Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;",

, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;", , - , Win , 1-0 , Ibrahim Al Khatib , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%", 2005-09-26 , style="font-size:88%", 2005 World Wrestling Championships , style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;",

, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;", , -

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Lawal was a

fan from an early age. Upon graduating from college, Lawal was offered a contract by the

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails man ...

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

. Lawal spent a week at

Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg. O ...

, WWE's developmental territory, before ultimately rejecting the contract offer, instead opting to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2012–2015)

In May 2012, upon signing with Bellator Fighting Championships, Lawal also signed a separate contract with the professional wrestling promotion

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...

(TNA), with the intention of simultaneously pursuing careers in mixed martial arts and professional wrestling. 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 Athletic taping is the process of applying tape directly to the skin or over pre-wrap in order to maintain a stable position of bones and muscles during athletic activity. It is a procedure that uses athletic tape (pressure-sensitive tape similar ...

". In September 2012, it was reported that Lawal would train as a

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

at Ohio Valley Wrestling, now TNA's developmental territory in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

. Lawal made his first appearance in TNA on the October 4, 2012 episode of ''

Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...

''. He went on to serve as a

special guest enforcer In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...

for a street fight between

Bobby Roode Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian professional wrestler signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is currently inactive due to undergoing neck surgery. Roode is known for his 12-year tenure for Total Nonstop ...

and

James Storm James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling. He started his career in 1997 and after working on several independent pr ...

at the '' Bound for Glory''

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...

on October 14, 2012. King Mo returned to TNA on the July 24, 2014 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' as a

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...

, attacking

Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...

, Bully Ray and

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

and aligning with Team Dixie and

Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...

. In late 2014, King Mo was removed from Team Dixie due to his absence from TNA. When asked in February 2015 if he will appear again for TNA, King Mo stated: "I've always been MMA 100%. If they call me I'll make an appearance. Right now, there is nothing going on in wrestling unless they book me to do something." On July 20, 2015, Mo announced his departure from TNA.

Independent circuit (2014, 2019–present)

On June 14, 2014 at

House of Hardcore House of Hardcore (HOH) is an American wrestling promotion founded by professional wrestler Tommy Dreamer. Its slogan is "No Politics, No BS, Just Wrestling." In its history, HOH has run events in twelve states and three countries. History O ...

6, King Mo took part in a special Master Lock challenge from

Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Chris Adonis as a member of Strictly Business. He is a former two-time National ...

along with other wrestlers in the end, King Mo was able to avoid being to put in The Masterlock and he was able to put Masters in a leg lock submission making Masters tap out.

Return to Impact Wrestling (2017)

On June 27, 2017, it was announced that King Mo would make his return to Impact Wrestling and be in Lashley's corner for his

Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result o ...

match at

Slammiversary Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion Impact Wrestling. It is one of Impact's “Big Four” PPV events (along with Hard to Kill, Rebellion, and Bound for Glory), and celebrates ...

Major League Wrestling (2019–present)

On November 8, 2019, Mo wore an MLW shirt during his entrance to his final fight for Bellator. The following morning it was announced that he had signed an exclusive deal with the promotion and would be making his debut for the promotion at their next TV taping. He won his debut match for the promotion, which aired on their Thanksgiving episode of ''

MLW Fusion ''MLW Fusion'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on April 20, 2018 on beIN Sports USA. On November 10, 2022, the series began streaming on Pro Wrestling TV. A thir ...

'' via submission. His last match in MLW by now is dated November 10,2021 on the 8th episode of MLW Fusion ALPHA Series.

Personal life

Lawal's parents are

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

from

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Lawal was born in

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

. He has a younger brother named Abdullah and a younger sister named Aminat. The three were raised by a single mother, "My mom (Nike Rouseau) pretty much raised us all. My dad was never around." Muhammed's father committed suicide when Lawal was twenty years old. After his fight with Larkin, Lawal was diagnosed with

Staphylococcus ''Staphylococcus'' is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Staphylococcaceae from the order Bacillales. Under the microscope, they appear spherical (cocci), and form in grape-like clusters. ''Staphylococcus'' species are facultative ...

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."

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

** Bellator 2013 Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament Championship **Tied (with

) for most knockout wins in Bellator Light Heavyweight division history (5) *

Rizin Fighting Federation Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF or Rizin) is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara. Rizin was founded to be the spir ...

** Rizin 2015 Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship *

** Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Amateur wrestling

International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

**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 Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...

Manitoba Open Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist **2003 Sunkist Kids International Open Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist *

USA Wrestling USA Wrestling (formerly known as the United States Wrestling Federation and as the United States Wrestling Association) is the organization that currently governs freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. USA Wrestling is ...

**USA Senior Freestyle National Championship (2005, 2006, 2008) **USA University Freestyle National Championship (2003) **2006 NYAC Christmas Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist **2005

World Team Trials Senior Freestyle Winner **2004 NYAC Christmas Championships Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist *

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I All-American (2003) **

Championship (2003) **

Division II Collegiate Championship (2002) **

Division II All-American (2001, 2002) *

University Interscholastic League The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, musical, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest organi ...

** UIL High School Texas State Championship (1999) ** UIL High School All-State (1997, 1998, 1999)

Wrestling

** RPW Season One 184 lb Championship

Professional wrestling

*Vendetta Pro Wrestling **Vendetty Award: 2015 Vendetta Pro Match of the Year (as Special Guest Enforcer)

References

External links

Early life

Mixed martial arts career

World Victory Road

_M-1_Global

M-1 Global

Strikeforce

Bellator MMA

RIZIN Fighting Federation Tournament

Mixed martial arts record

World Championship matches

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2012–2015)

Independent circuit (2014, 2019–present)

Return to Impact Wrestling (2017)

Major League Wrestling (2019–present)

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Amateur wrestling

Wrestling

Professional wrestling

See also

References

External links