'King Mo' to corner potential future tourney opponent Roy Nelson tonight at Bellator 194

Roy Nelson and Muhammed Lawal are friends who are just one win each away from having to face a high-stakes fight against each other.

Still, the possibility of squaring off in the future won’t hinder their friendship, nor will it prevent Nelson and “King Mo” from helping each other when needed. For proof, look no further than tonight’s Bellator 194 event.

Nelson (22-14 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) headlines Bellator 194, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and airs on Paramount following prelims on MMAjunkie. He meets Matt Mitrione (12-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) in the opening round of the Bellator heavyweight grand prix.

In his corner for tonight’s showdown will be none other than Lawal (21-6 MMA, 10-4 BMMA). MMAjunkie confirmed with a Bellator official he’s been approved as one of the official cornermen for “Big Country” at the event (via Instagram):

Team #bigcountry ready for tomorrow!

A post shared by Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) on Feb 15, 2018 at 4:04pm PST

Nelson and Lawal routinely train together in Las Vegas. However, things could get complicated if Nelson beats Mitrione; “King Mo” is in the same tournament bracket as his good friend and training partner.

Lawal meets Ryan Bader (24-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in his opening-round tournament bout at Bellator 199 on May 12, and if he also wins, a semifinal-round clash with Nelson will determine a tourney finalist.

It’s one step at a time, though, according to Nelson. He said he’s not going to allow something that’s not yet a reality to strain his relationship with Lawal, but if worst comes to worst, he apparently has a plan in place.

“That’s not even a focus; I’ve got to get through Matt, and then after that I’ll worry about it,” Nelson told MMAjunkie at Wednesday’s Bellator 194 media day. “That’s my boy, and I want Mo to win and then (have) Mo to go back down to light heavyweight. Right now (I have no issue) – because I’m not fighting him.”

For more on Bellator 194, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.