The King is dead. Long live the King. Lawal, that is. King Mo Lawal will return to the cage one last time. The former Strikeforce champion, Bellator MMA tournament winner, and RIZIN grand prix winner will take on Andrew Kepel at Bellator 233, ESPN reported Thursday. Although Lawal (21–9, 1NC) announced his retirement from MMA earlier this year, the Kepel fight will represent his retirement bout.

The now 38-year old Muhammed Lawal entered the sport in 2008, getting his start in Japan before jumping to Scott Coker’s Strikeforce. Defeating Gegard Mousasi for the light heavyweight title to cap a 7-0 start to his career, he’d lose the belt to Rafael Cavalcante his very next fight. In 2012, as Strikeforce was gobbled up by the UFC following Zuffa’s purchase of their biggest competitor, Lawal jumped to Bellator MMA.

Quickly fast-tracked in the light heavyweight division, NCAA Division I wrestler Lawal would enter the Bellator Season 8 tournament, only to be finished by Emmanuel Newton. He’d win the 2013 Light Heavyweight Summer Series tournament, only to again lose to Newton. He’d lose a showdown with rival Rampage Jackson in 2014, though Lawal would go on to win the rematch three years later.

Perhaps Lawal’s biggest achievement, however, was heading to Japan and winning the RIZIN heavyweight grand prix in 2015. He’d struggle to repeat that success a year later, being finished by Mirko Cro-Cop in the 2016 open weight grand prix. Earlier this year, he came up short for the inaugural RIZIN light heavyweight belt, against Jiří Procházka — the man he defeated in the finale of the 2015 heavyweight tournament.

Following that April 2019 loss, Lawal announced his retirement. However, he’ll come back to take on Andrew Kepel — and get a proper send-off. Kepel (14-6) has won his last four bouts, but will be making his Bellator debut.

Bellator 233 takes place November 8, 2019 at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

The post King Mo Lawal Books Retirement Fight at Bellator 233 appeared first on Cageside Press.

RIZIN 15 went down over the weekend (Sunday, to be exact) in Yokohama, Japan. The first show of the year for the Japanese MMA promotion, the card saw the crowing of RIZIN’s inaugural light heavyweight champion, the continued dominance of Kyoji Horiguchi, and a return to form from wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa.

Full results can be found below, as well as a gallery of highlights courtesy of RIZIN Fighting Federation. For more, check out our full coverage page.

RIZIN 15 Results:

Jiří Procházka def. Muhammad Lawal by knockout (punches), round 3, 3:02 – for the inaugural RIZIN FF light heavyweight championship
Tenshin Nasukawa def. Fritz Aldin Blagtan by technical knockout (knee), round 3, 1:23 – kickboxing bout
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Ben Nguyen by technical knockout (punches), round 1, 2:55
Roberto de Souza def. Satoru Kitaoka by technical knockout (punches), round 2, 3:55
Karl Albrektsson def. Christiano Frohlich by unanimous decision
Rena Kubota def. Samantha Jean-Francois by unanimous decision
Mikuru Asakura def. Luiz Gustavo by unanimous decision
Kana Watanabe def. Justyna Zofia Haba by unanimous decision
Damien Brown def. Toji Takeda by unanimous decision
Manel Kape def. Seiichiro Ito by knockout (punches), round 2, 3:58
Kanako Murata def. Saray Orozco by technical submission (Von Flue choke) round 2, 2:12
Thallisson Ferreira def. Taiga Kawabe by technical knockout (three knockdowns), round 2, 2:33 – kickboxing bout

The post RIZIN 15 Photo Highlights: King Mo Falls, Horiguchi Still on a Roll appeared first on Cageside Press.

Japan’s RIZIN FF was back in action Sunday with RIZIN 15, going down at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. With Bellator’s King Mo Lawal facing Jiri Prochazka for RIZIN’s inaugural light heavyweight championship, the card had both a title fight, and star power, as both Tenshin Nasukawa and Kyoji Horiguchi were on the bill.

Airing on PPV via Fite.tv, RIZIN 15 also had Rena Kubota looking to shake off the second of two losses to Kanna Asakura, the only woman to defeat her in her MMA career. The skilled kickboxer and shoot boxer was facing Samantha Jean-Francois.

In the main event, Jiri Prochazka gained revenge as he defeated Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal via third-round TKO. Prochazka wore out Lawal, landing hard shots throughout. Lawal couldn’t take Prochazka down, as Prochazka displayed incredible takedown defence. Lawal ignored his corner throughout the bout and was mostly inactive on the feet as Prochazka was picking him apart. In the third and final round, Lawal was visibly tired and breathing heavy as Prochazka dropped him, and the referee waved off the contest as Lawal was slumped on canvas. Jiri Prochazka wins the inaugural RIZIN light heavyweight championship, and at 26-years old, the future is bright for Prochazka. Endless output and strong knockout power.

Jiri Prochazka gets it done in the third to become the first ever RIZIN Light Heavyweight Champion. #RIZIN15 pic.twitter.com/utpqohrM9s

— Mike Skytte (@MikeLovesTacosX) April 21, 2019

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Kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa defeated gutsy Fritz Aldin Blagtan with third-round TKO in the co-main event. Blagtan lasted longer than many of those predicted, but Nasukawa was too much and was clearly a step ahead. A brutal knee to the body folded Blagtan and that is all she wrote. This was Nasukawa’s first win in RIZIN since his exhibition loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr at the last RIZIN event, RIZIN 14. Nasukawa’s kickboxing record is now 30 wins with zero losses.

Tenshin Wins KO R3#RIZIN #RIZINFF #RIZIN15 pic.twitter.com/MjhJKj2KeZ

— Jonnyboy (@JBNeverDies) April 21, 2019

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National hero Kyoji Horiguchi continues his success in RIZIN with a first-round knockout victory over UFC veteran Ben Nguyen. Horiguchi had his back taken early, but he stayed composed and dropped Nguyen three times before the referee had seen enough. Horiguchi’s win streak is now extended to twelve.

Kyoji Horiguchi vs.Ben Nguyen
1R KO#RIZIN15 pic.twitter.com/LHiEOIixAX

— TOM (@KICK_MMA2019) April 21, 2019

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Afterwards, an offer was proposed to Horiguchi that Horiguchi could face Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell at Madison Square Garden for the Bellator bantamweight title in a rematch at Bellator 222.  Horiguchi defeated Caldwell via third-round Guillotine in their first bout  the RIZIN ring at RIZIN 14. Horiguchi did accept the invitation and it looks like his next bout will be in the Bellator cage.

Roberto Satoshi Souza battled hard against 70-fight veteran Satoru Kitaoka, and after a back-and-forth opening round, the Brazilian grappler stuns Kitaoka on the feet before dropping and stopping him with follow-up shots. Souza said it was a “dream come true” to compete in RIZIN. Holding nine professional wins, Souza scored his second TKO victory.

Dear God What!?!?#RIZIN #RIZINFF #RIZIN15 pic.twitter.com/6viYxEcr1w

— Jonnyboy (@JBNeverDies) April 21, 2019

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In the last bout before the first intermission, Mikuru Asakura mixed takedowns into his attack to defeat previously undefeated Brazilian Luis Gustavo. Gustavo was given a yellow card during the bout for pushing himself through the ropes. He never stopped fighting however, as he threw bombs from start to finish. Ultimately though, Asakura prevailed with the better game plan through three rounds.

I enjoyed this slice of violence. ‘Twas a great performance from Mikuru; both should get a spot in the lightweight grand prix if they want it. #RIZIN15 #RIZINFF #RIZIN2019 pic.twitter.com/kk2lB0P31E

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) April 21, 2019

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UFC veteran Damien Brown made it 2-0 in the RIZIN ring as he defeated previously undefeated Japanese prospect Koji Takeda. Brown picked Takeda apart on the feet and provided fun scrambles in a fan-friendly bout.

Brown and Takeda are scrambling like rabid honey badgers. 👀 #RIZIN15 #RIZINFF #RIZIN2019 pic.twitter.com/PiMQIs2pGW

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) April 21, 2019

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Manel Kape bounced back to winning ways as he brutalised Japan’s Seiichiro Ito as he won via second-round TKO. A brutal body shot was enough for the referee to way off the bout. One of the more measured performances in Kape’s career. Kape dedicated the fight to his mother, who sadly past away a few months back.

Manel Kape TKOd Seiichiro Ito in 2R pic.twitter.com/9y92bjSeSr

— Jolassanda (@Jolassanda) April 21, 2019

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The ladies started the night strongly within the ring. Despite taking the fight on short notice, Kanako Murata defeats Saray Orozco via a mounted Von Flue choke. Murata used her wrestling to control the bout, whilst landing grounded knees throughout the bout.

Kanako Murata slams and strangles Saray Orozco on five days notice. #RIZIN15 pic.twitter.com/je6sbL5foT

— Mike Skytte (@MikeLovesTacosX) April 21, 2019

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RIZIN 15 Results:

Jiří Procházka def. Muhammad Lawal by knockout (punches), round 3, 3:02 – for the inaugural RIZIN FF light heavyweight championship
Tenshin Nasukawa def. Fritz Aldin Blagtan by technical knockout (knee), round 3, 1:23 – kickboxing bout
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Ben Nguyen by technical knockout (punches), round 1, 2:55
Roberto de Souza def. Satoru Kitaoka by technical knockout (punches), round 2, 3:55
Karl Albrektsson def. Christiano Frohlich by unanimous decision
Rena Kubota def. Samantha Jean-Francois by unanimous decision
Mikuru Asakura def. Luiz Gustavo by unanimous decision
Kana Watanabe def. Justyna Zofia Haba by unanimous decision
Damien Brown def. Toji Takeda by unanimous decision
Manel Kape def. Seiichiro Ito by knockout (punches), round 2, 3:58
Kanako Murata def. Saray Orozco by technical submission (Von Flue choke) round 2, 2:12
Thallisson Ferreira def. Taiga Kawabe by technical knockout (three knockdowns), round 2, 2:33 – kickboxing bout

The post RIZIN 15 Results and Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hours after the UFC put on a show in St. Petersburg, Japan’s RIZIN was back in action, for a Sunday card (early AM for those in the west) featuring the promotion’s inaugural light heavyweight title fight in the main event. That bout was set to have ‘King’ Mo Lawal take on Jiri Prochazka, and with all fighters making weight Saturday, the title fight was a go!

Check below for full weigh-in results for the event, which goes down at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. Standouts on the card include Tenshin Nasukawa, returning to kickboxing after an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., and bantamweight champ Kyoji Horiguchi, in a non-title bout with former UFC fighter Ben Nguyen.

RIZIN 15 Weigh-In Results:

Muhammed Lawal (95.15kg/203) vs. Jiri Prochazka (93.00/205)
Tenshin Nasukawa (58.95kg/130) vs. Fritz Biagtan (57.45kg/127) – kickboxing
Kyoji Horiguchi (59.65kg/131) vs. Ben Nguyen (59.85kg/131)
Satoru Kitaoka (70.70kg/156) vs. Roberto de Souza (70.60kg/156)
Karl Albrektsson (93.00kg/205) vs. Christiano Frohlich (92.75kg/205)
Rena Kubota (50.90kg/112) vs. Samantha Jean-Francois (51.00kg/112)
Mikuru Asakura (67.95kg/150) vs. Luiz Gustavo Felix dos Santos (67.80kg/150)
Kana Watanabe (56.70kg/125) vs. Justyna Haba (57.00kg/125)
Damien Brown (70.55kg/155) vs. Koji Takeda (70.35kg/155)
Manel Kape (57.85kg/128) vs. Seiichiro Ito (57.85kg/128)
Kanako Murata (56.50kg/124) vs. Saray Orozco Rodriguez (56.00kg/123)
Taiga Kawabe (60.95kg/135) vs. Thallison Ferreira (61.00kg/134) – kickboxing

The post RIZIN 15 Weigh-In Results: All Fighters Make Weight appeared first on Cageside Press.

RIZIN Fighting Federation has announced the initial bouts for their next card, and some interesting names are in the mix. Kyoji Horiguchi, who was last seen defeating Bellator MMA’s bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell, will not be immediately rematching the champ it seems. Instead, the RIZIN FF’s own bantamweight king will face off with ex-UFC flyweight Ben Nguyen. In addition, another Bellator star, King Mo Lawal, will face Jiri Prochazka for the light heavyweight title.

RIZIN officials announced the news Thursday via press release.

Horiguchi (26-2) has not lost since a title challenge against then-UFC flyweight champion Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson in 2015 at UFC 186. Since then, he has won eleven straight fights between the UFC and RIZIN, and represents the best fighter in Japan, and quite possibly outside the UFC, at the moment.

“I’m happy to be back. My opponent is a tough striker who has a legitimate ground game. This will be a fun [sic] but my goal is to win in exciting fashion,” Horiguchi was quoted as saying in Thursday’s press release. “I am obligated to continue to grow the sport here in Japan, and I need to put on exciting fights.”

Opponent Ben Nguyen was an early casualty of the UFC’s “will they or won’t they” approach to killing the flyweight division. Though coming off two losses, the American fighting out of Australia was 4-3 in the promotion, and 2-2 in his last four. He submitted former flyweight title challenger Tim Elliot at UFC Auckland in 2017, only to lose to Jussier Formiga and Wilson Reis last year. Both have consistently remained at the top of the weight class.

It’s a title shot for King Mo, meanwhile. Lawal (21–8 (1)) has come up short in big moments in Bellator MMA, losing an interim title fight to Emmanuel Newton, the Bellator season 10 light heavyweight tournament to Rampage Jackson, and being knocked out by Ryan Bader in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. However, King Mo did win the RIZIN 2015 World Grand Prix, and now has a shot at another big honor, with the inaugural RIZIN light heavyweight title on the line.

Opposite Mo, Jiri Prochazka. A native of the Czech Republic, Prochazka (23-1, 1NC) has won seven straight. His last loss came to Lawal as part of the 2015 grand prix, adding to the story line of this particular rematch. Prochazka holds notable wins over Satoshi Ishii, Brandon Halsey, and Vadim Nemkov, among others.

Also added to the RIZIN 15 card, Kai Asakura will face former UFC flyweight Ulka Sasaki, and Mikuru Asakura takes on Luiz Gustavo. The event takes place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on April 21.

The post Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen, King Mo Added to RIZIN 15 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bellator’s debut in Hawaii has added a promising light heavyweight bout. Announced by Bellator CEO Scott Coker on Twitter Monday, “King” Mo Lawal will meet former 205lb champion Liam McGeary at the event. The card is set to be headlined by Hawaii’s own Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Bellator’s women’s flyweight champion. She’ll be facing challenger Valerie Letourneau, a former UFC strawweight title challenger who is 2-0 since joining Bellator MMA.

The “Moneyweight” King of @BellatorMMA will join the “Pinapple Princess” @ilimanator and the “Dragon” @lyotomachidafw at #BellatorHawaii live on @DAZN_USA @KingMoFH vs. @liam_mcgeary

— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) September 17, 2018

King Mo (21–7 (1)) was last seen at Bellator 199, where he was finished via TKO by Ryan Bader. The bout was part of Bellator’s World Heavyweight Grand Prix. Lawal has been trading wins and losses over his past five fights, with wins over Rampage Jackson and Satoshi Ishii. In addition to the Bader loss, he’s also dropped fights to Mirko Cro-Cop (in RIZIN FF) and Phil Davis.

Ex-champ McGeary (12-3), meanwhile, has struggled since losing his 205lb title to Phil Davis at Bellator 163. McGeary is 1-2 since that night in 2016, with his lone win coming against Brett McDermott at Bellator 173. He’s since lost two straight, against Linton Vassell and Vadim Nemkov most recently.

Bellator Hawaii, a.k.a. Bellator 210, takes place December 15 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida also makes his promotional debut on the card.

The post King Mo vs. Liam McGeary Added to Bellator Hawaii appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the main event at Bellator 199 on Saturday in San Jose, the World Heavyweight Grand Prix got back underway. Sure, it was a pair of light heavyweights, including champ Ryan Bader, partaking. But that shouldn’t take away from the fun, should it? It was the final bout of the opening round, and with its conclusion, the semi-final bracket would be set. Facing Bader was King Mo Lawal, a man with plenty of Grand Prix experience.

Heading into the fight, King Mo accused Ryan Bader of having no rhythm, while Bader pointed out simply that his awkward style got him wins. It was likely to be a preview of an eventual 205lb title fight, but first, there was three rounds or less in the grand prix.

A lot, lot less in the end. Within seconds, Ryan Bader put an end to King Mo’s night! Lawal opened by going to the body early with a punch. Then Bader came forward with a left hook that dropped King Mo. Bader charged in after him, and while Lawal tried to cover up, Bader unleashed right hand after right hand until ref Mike Beltran had seen enough and waved it off!

With the win, Ryan Bader moves forward in the Bellator World Heavyweight Grand Prix, where he’ll face former UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione. It was a near flawless performance from ‘Darth Bader’ — and may change a few opinions about him getting in with the heavyweights, as although Lawal is best known as a light heavyweight, he’d previously won a RIZIN heavyweight grand prix.

Ryan Bader def. King Mo Lawl by knockout, Round 1, 0:15

The post Bellator 199 Results: Ryan Bader Smokes King Mo In Mere Seconds, Advances in Heavyweight Grand Prix appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bellator 199 took place Saturday night in San Jose, with the last quarter final bout in Bellator’s heavyweight grand prix topping the card. That fight saw light heavyweight champ Ryan Bader take on the man many expected to challenge for his 205lb title, King Mo Lawal. Instead of a title fight, however, it was a battle to determine who would move forward in the tournament.

Also on the card, Jon Fitch was set to make his Bellator MMA debut, taking on the always dangerous Paul Daley. And Cheick Kongo returned to action after a year-long layoff to take on Javy Ayala.

Earlier in the night, a host of preliminary card bouts were scheduled (with a number set as post-liminary fights, taking place after the main card). Among them, Amber Leibrock would finally make her Bellator debut. Originally expected to fight Alexis Dufresne in December, the bout was scrapped when Dufresne missed weight by a full ten pounds. Now, the Invicta veteran, whose only loss came to Megan Anderson, would get in the cage against Janay Harding to see who would move forward in the featherweight division.

Check back come fight time for results, and our Bellator 199 live stream video of all the action. Watch all the fights right here, courtesy of Bellator MMA — the action gets underway at 7PM ET!

Bellator 199: Bader vs. King Mo – Live Tonight 9/8c, on Paramount Network

Bellator 199 Preliminary Card Results:

James Terry def. Danasabe Mohammed by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Jordan Williams def. Brandon Hester by TKO, Round 2, 1:11
Cass Bell def. Khai Wu by submission (guillotine), Round 2, 3:27
Justin Tenedora def. David Rivera-Cruz by submission (Triangle Choke), Round 1, 4:27
Deron Winn def. Ahmed White by TKO, Round 1, 2:32
Amber Leibrock def. Janay Harding by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Gaston Bolanos def. Malcolm Hill by TKO (Leg Kicks), Round 1, 2:54

Dark Fights:

Mark Climaco vs. Daniel Oseguera
Elias Anderson vs. Hyder Amil
Josh San Diego vs. Hohelin Hernandez
Dominic Sumner vs. Tom Oswald
Josh Paiva vs. Adam Antolin
Ignacio Ortiz vs. Matt Aragoni
J.J. Okanovich vs. Hugo Lujan

The post Bellator 199: Bader vs. King Mo Preliminary Card Live Stream and Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

King Mo is no stranger to titles, big fights, and tournaments. Lawal (21–6 (1)), a former Strikeforce champion, won RIZIN’s 2015 heavyweight tournament, and competed in the Japanese promotion’s 2016 Openweight grand prix only to be finished by the legendary Cro-Cop. Still, Lawal is a veteran at this point — albeit one who has not fought in over a year.

When you hear King Mo detail just how a nagging hip injury was hampering his day-to-day life, however, you can quickly understand why. During his time on the shelf, Lawal had the issue taken care of with a hip resurfacing. As to just what that is, “it involves metal being put in the joint. Instead of being bone-on-bone, they put metal where the bone is,” Lawal explained, “and they put metal over the bone. Like a swivel. So I have like a swivel in my hip.”

If it sounds intense, it is. But it has greatly improved his quality of life, a huge deal for the 37 year old fighter. “I can walk normal, I can jog, I can lift my knee up,” he rattled off all the everyday actions once again within his grasp. “I can get up out of the car. I can get up in the car. I can tie my shoe. I can put my shoe on, I can put my socks on, and I can take my socks off. I couldn’t do that before.”

“And I can throw a jab,” he added. “Before when I throw a jab, it used to hurt me. Because pushing off my toe, my s*** was jammed up.” It’s not hurting him any more, and now King Mo is thrilled to get back in action. He doesn’t really care that he and opponent Ryan Bader — who many expect will fight for Bader’s light heavyweight championship at some point — are the last quarter final fight in Bellator’s Heavyweight Grand Prix to square off.

“It don’t matter to me, as long as I’m in the tournament it’s all good,” he said.

In the end, Lawal expects to meet Matt Mitrione, who defeated good buddy Roy Nelson in quarter final action on the opposite side of the tournament bracket. It’s the only fight of the grand prix thus far that has surprised Mo.

“I thought Matt and Roy should have went an extra round,” he told Cageside Press at Thursday’s Bellator 199 media day. “It was close, the third round was clear domination by Roy. The first two rounds, Matt looked good. Matt won the first round easy, the second round, he won, but maybe Roy, [with the] takedown, you could see Roy coming on.”

“The third round, Roy won that I think easy. It should have went the extra round, but the judges said otherwise.”

It’s a situation Lawal will look to avoid Saturday when he meets Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 199. Lawal, however, is confident that his training has him where he needs to be.

Check out our full interview with King Mo Lawal above! Bellator 199 takes place Saturday, May 12 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. The main card airs live on the Paramount Network starting at 9PM ET.

The post Bellator 199’s King Mo Details How Hip Surgery Changed What He Can Do In and Out of Fighting appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix is just five months old, but already it has been one of the biggest storylines of the MMA world in 2018. Chael Sonnen kicked things off with an upset of the bigger Rampage Jackson, furthering his underdog story of being a middleweight in a heavyweight competition. Tournament-favorite Matt Mitrione went through to the second round in workmanlike fashion. Most recently, the long-awaited bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Frank Mir ended with “The Last Emperor” turning back the clock with a vintage finish performance. Now, Ryan Bader and “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal will collide in the final quarterfinal of the Grand Prix at Bellator 199.

The Last Emperor advances to the next round of the #BellatorWGP! #Fedor pic.twitter.com/VIZgqNe21h

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 29, 2018

The harsh truth is, Ryan Bader had been written off of ever becoming a UFC champion when he signed with Bellator. His impressive 15-5 mark in the company where he had been one of the most consistent fighters of the last decade was forgotten in lieu of his stumbles along the way. Fans were quick to point out his setbacks against the likes of Jon Jones, Anthony Johnson, and others. Lost was his five-fight win streak against perennial contenders and a former champion to get back into the title picture. He competed at the same time as several formidable forces in the weight class, and he’d proven himself to be a dangerous threat amongst them.

Bader has the most momentum of any fighter in the tournament, and he carries it with him as he enters the most dangerous quarter of the competition. “King Mo” is among the most dangerous contenders at both light-heavyweight and heavyweight whom Bader himself admitted would likely have been the next challenger for his belt had the tournament not taken place. If he is victorious, he will have to face tournament favorite Matt Mitrione to reach a final where he would face either Chael Sonnen or heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko. Bader is too skilled to be able to call a tournament victory an underdog story. But make no mistake, a heavyweight championship for Bader in this tournament would be nothing less than one of the most impressive twelve-month campaigns by any fighter of the last several years.

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal flies under the radar as the participant with the lowest profile, but he enters the bout with Ryan Bader as one of the few fighters remaining with a proven heavyweight record. He owns victories over fellow participant “Rampage” Jackson as well as recently named alternate Cheick Kongo. His ten-year career has also seen his hand raised against the likes of Gegard Mousasi, Roger Gracie, and Linton Vassell. Once considered just a wrestler, Lawal has gained confidence in his power and has used it to usurp competition around the world.

In Bellator, Lawal has built a name as one of their most active fighters. Between 2013 and 2015, he fought four times in each calendar year. His run has been punctuated by his rivalry with Jackson whom he faced in Bellator’s inaugural event on pay-per-view. However, championship gold is something he has yet to experience in Bellator. He came up short against Emanuel Newton for the interim belt in 2013 and injury kept him out of the finals of the light heavyweight tournament in 2015. His last major win came in the RIZIN grand-prix finals later that year. Now in Bellator’s biggest tournament to date, he has a chance to go for a two for one as he would largely be considered the uncrowned light heavyweight champion if were to eliminate Bader from the tournament.

Stylistically, the battle looks to pit the more technical striking of Bader against the brawling of Lawal. While both men have shown the ability to finish fights with one shot, Lawal’s power is more proven and exchanges in the pocket would look to favor him. Mo does his best when he’s the aggressor and he should look to control the center of the cage and force Bader to fight off of his heels.

Conversely, “Darth Bader” should look to get in and out behind crisp punches and take care not to remain stationary in front of King Mo. Muhammed Lawal is a talented wrestler so the best way to get the fight to the mat would be to get in under him when he commits to his strikes on the feet. Even if he fails to get the takedown, the threat of it will make Lawal hesitant to commit to his punches and open up Ryan Bader to throw more combinations.

The winner would be in arguably the toughest fight of the semifinals with a bout against Matt Mitrione. If they were to upset him, however, they would be heavily favored in the final against either the much smaller Chael Sonnen or the surprisingly resurgent Fedor Emelianenko. After witnessing the last three bouts of the tournament, Bader and Mo will be looking to send a message as they attempt to punch a ticket to the semifinals.

The post Bellator 199: Ryan Bader and King Mo Finally Join the Dance appeared first on Cageside Press.