Muhammed Lawal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muhammed Lawal
Lawal in 2012
Born	(1981-01-11) January 11, 1981 (age 44) Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.
Other names	King Mo
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division	Light heavyweight (2009–2016) Heavyweight (2008–2009; 2015–2019)
Reach	79 in (201 cm)
Fighting out of	Coconut Creek, Florida, United States
Team	American Top Team Mayweather Boxing
Rank	NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active	2008–2019
Mixed martial arts record
Total	32
Wins	21
By knockout	13
By decision	8
Losses	10
By knockout	7
By decision	3
No contests	1
Other information
University	Oklahoma State University University of Central Oklahoma
Notable school(s)	Plano East Senior High School
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing  United States World Cup Silver 2007 Krasnoyarsk 96 kg Pan American Championships Gold 2007 San Salvador 96 kg US National Championships Gold 2005 Las Vegas 84 kg Gold 2006 Las Vegas 84 kg Gold 2008 Las Vegas 84 kg Silver 2007 Las Vegas 96 kg Bronze 2004 Las Vegas 84 kg Collegiate Wrestling Representing the Oklahoma State Cowboys NCAA Division I Championships Bronze 2003 Kansas City 197 lb Big 12 Championships Gold 2003 Columbia 197 lb NCAA Division II Championships Representing the Central Oklahoma Bronchos Gold 2002 Edmond 197 lb Silver 2001 Fargo 184 lb

Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American athlete. He is famous for his careers in mixed martial arts (MMA) and professional wrestling. He used to be the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He also won the Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship. Currently, he is signed with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Early Life and Wrestling Beginnings

Muhammed Lawal grew up with his brother and sister. Their single mother, who was Muslim, raised them. From a young age, Lawal loved professional wrestling. He started wrestling in high school at Plano East Senior High School in Plano, Texas.

High School Achievements

In high school, Lawal was a great athlete. As a junior, he won a state title in Greco-Roman wrestling. He also finished second in the state. In his senior year, Lawal was undefeated and became a state champion. He also played football and was recognized for his skills. He earned honors as a linebacker and a wide receiver. Lawal also competed in track and field.

College Wrestling Success

After high school, Lawal continued his wrestling career in college. He wrestled at the University of Central Oklahoma in NCAA Division II. He placed second in the nation in 2001. In 2002, he became a national champion.

For his final college year, Lawal moved to Division I at Oklahoma State University. In 2003, he won the Big 12 Conference Championship. He also became a Division I All-American, finishing third in his weight class. That same year, Lawal was the university freestyle national champion.

Senior Level Wrestling

After college, Lawal kept wrestling at a high level. He won the Senior U.S. national championship in freestyle wrestling three times. These wins were in 2005, 2006, and 2008. He also represented the U.S. at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships. He finished seventh in that competition. For more than three years, Lawal was the top-ranked wrestler in the U.S. in his weight division.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

In 2008, Muhammed Lawal decided to try mixed martial arts (MMA). He had just missed out on going to the 2008 Olympics.

Early MMA Fights

Lawal made his MMA debut at World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 5. He fought Travis Wiuff, who was a very experienced fighter. Lawal won by knockout in the first round. He continued to win his next fights in Japan. He defeated Fábio Silva and Yukiya Naito. In March 2009, he won against Ryo Kawamura by decision. This was his first fight that went the full distance.

In August 2009, Lawal fought in the U.S. for the first time. He quickly defeated Mark Kerr by technical knockout.

Becoming a Strikeforce Champion

In October 2009, Lawal signed a contract with Strikeforce, a U.S. MMA promotion. He could still fight in Japan too. In December, he knocked out Mike Whitehead in the first round.

On April 17, 2010, Lawal faced Gegard Mousasi. He won the fight by decision. This made him the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.

Lawal lost his championship title in August 2010 to Rafael Cavalcante. After this, he had knee surgery and was out of action for a while.

Challenges and Changes

Lawal returned to fighting in 2011. He defeated Roger Gracie by knockout. In January 2012, he won against Lorenz Larkin by knockout. However, the result of this fight was later changed to a "no contest." This happened because Lawal tested positive for a banned substance. His fighting license was suspended for nine months.

After this, Lawal was released from Strikeforce. This was due to comments he made on social media. He later apologized for his comments.

Fighting in Bellator MMA

In May 2012, Lawal signed with Bellator Fighting Championships. He joined their light heavyweight tournament in January 2013. He won his first fight against Przemyslaw Mysiala. However, he lost in the semifinals to Emanuel Newton by knockout.

Lawal continued to compete in Bellator tournaments. He won the Bellator 2013 Summer Series Light Heavyweight tournament. He defeated Seth Petruzelli and Jacob Noe. He then had a rematch with Emanuel Newton for an interim championship, but he lost by decision.

Lawal fought many more times in Bellator. He had another rematch with Quinton Jackson in 2017. Lawal won this fight by decision, which was a big victory for him. He also fought Ryan Bader for the Bellator Heavyweight championship in 2018 but lost. His last fight in Bellator was in November 2019, where he announced his retirement from MMA.

Rizin Fighting Federation Tournament

In 2015, Lawal also competed in an 8-man tournament in Japan for the Rizin Fighting Federation. He won his first fight by knockout. He then won his semifinal fight by decision. In the finals, Lawal faced Jiří Procházka and won by knockout. This made him the Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion.

He returned to Rizin in 2016 for another tournament. He lost to Mirko Cro Cop in the second round.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional Wrestling Career

Muhammed Lawal was a big fan of professional wrestling since he was young. After college, he was offered a contract by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He spent a week training but decided to focus on MMA instead.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2012–2015)

In 2012, when Lawal signed with Bellator MMA, he also signed a separate contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). This allowed him to do both MMA and professional wrestling at the same time. He trained as a professional wrestler at Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Lawal first appeared on TNA's Impact Wrestling show in October 2012. He was a special guest referee for a big match at a pay-per-view event. In 2014, King Mo returned to TNA and joined a group called Team Dixie. He later left the group. In 2015, he announced he was leaving TNA to focus on MMA.

Other Wrestling Appearances

King Mo also made appearances in other wrestling promotions. In 2014, he took part in a challenge at House of Hardcore 6. He returned to Impact Wrestling in 2017 to support another wrestler, Bobby Lashley. From 2019 to 2021, Lawal was signed with Major League Wrestling (MLW). He won his debut match there.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Muhammed Lawal was scheduled to make his bare-knuckle boxing debut in September 2024. He was set to face David Mundell at BKFC 66. However, Lawal later withdrew from the fight.

Personal Life

Muhammed Lawal's parents are Muslim immigrants from Nigeria. He was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He has a younger brother and sister. His mother raised them.

Lawal faced a serious health challenge after one of his fights. He got a severe infection from knee surgery. He had a high fever, and the infection caused problems with his hip and legs. He said it was a very difficult time, but he recovered.

Championships and Accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts

• Bellator MMA
  • Bellator 2013 Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament Championship
  • Tied for most knockout wins in Bellator Light Heavyweight division history (5)
• Rizin Fighting Federation
  • Rizin 2015 Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship
• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Amateur Wrestling

Wrestling

• Real Pro 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)

See also

In Spanish: Muhammed Lawal para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of current Bellator fighters