'King Mo' accidentally cut to 202.5, will give middleweight a try in 2015

Muhammed Lawal didn’t intentionally cut too much weight on Thursday, and he wasn’t trying to make some type of statement. But after weighing 202.5 pounds for Bellator 123, he said he’s soon going to give middleweight a try.

Lawal (12-4 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) co-headlines tonight’s Spike TV-televised event against late replacement and fellow light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). While weighing in for Bellator 123, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Lawal tipped the scale at 202.5 pounds – a full 3.5 pounds under the 206-pound limit.

On today’s edition of MMAjunkie Radio, “King Mo” said he was just as surprised as everyone else during Thursday’s weigh-ins.

After he hopped on the scale, someone asked why he came in so light for the fight.

“‘What do you mean I’m coming in so light?'” Lawal remembers thinking.

He was then told he weighed 202.5 pounds.

“I was like, ‘whoops,'” he said.

Lawal said it wasn’t indicative of any problems or illnesses. He wasn’t trying to make a statement, and he wasn’t extra light throughout camp. Instead, he said, he simply had a bad unofficial scale, which he realized once he was on the official scale.

But did he exert himself too much by cutting the extra weight? Was it a struggle?

“Hell no,” he said. “I have no problem making 205.”

That’s why, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion said, he’s going to give the 185-pound middleweight division a try in 2015. In fact, he said, he’s shooting for fights in three weight classes: middleweight, light heavyweight and even heavyweight.

With former Strikeforce head Scott Coker now in charge of Bellator MMA, the once-disgruntled fighter finally has some job satisfaction. It’s a reason he recently signed a new deal with Bellator.

So, as he looks to rebound from a controversial decision loss to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson earlier this year and take out Jacoby tonight at Bellator 123, he sees plenty of options next year, especially when it comes to his weight.

“I’m going to play with it a little bit in 2015,” he said. “I want to do three weight classes. I just want to get my fights, have some fun and get paid.”

For more on Bellator 123, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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