Despite rib and cartilage injury, 'King Mo' says he'd fight Fedor if asked

Muhammed Lawal

Muhammed Lawal thought he could fight in the final of a light-heavyweight tournament this past Saturday at “Bellator 142: Dynamite.” But in the end, time wasn’t on “King Mo’s” side.

“I’m a fighter, and this is my job, but I wasn’t going to risk going out there being hurt and putting on a weak-ass performance,” he today told MMAjunkie Radio.

Lawal said he suffered cartilage damage and an “occult fracture” of his seventh rib in the opening round of a four-man tournament at San Jose’s SAP Center. He’s now recovering from his injuries and anticipates between six and eight weeks on the bench.

Lawal (16-4 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) said he was in the midst of trying to throw opponent Linton Vassell (15-5 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) during his semifinal-round fight when he heard two clicks and a pop on his right side. Despite his pain, he fought through the injury and secured a unanimous-decision win.

Backstage, however, his condition deteriorated as time passed before a bout with Phil Davis (14-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in the final.

“I thought we only had 30 or 45 minutes in between (the semifinals and final),” Lawal said. “I went in the back, and I was like, I can stay warm and stretch. I’m back there staying warm and stretching. Thirty minutes turns to 45, 45 minutes turns into one hour, and one hour turns into two.

“The second or third kickboxing (match on the card), I tried to move, and I’m struggling. I can’t move. My (rib) is clicking and popping. People backstage saw what was going on and brought someone back.

“I was going to try to fight, but after talking to my coaches, they were like, ‘You can’t even move,’ and the doctor was like, ‘We feel the clicking and popping, so we’ll contact the alternate.’”

In this case, that was UFC vet Francis Carmont (24-11 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), who took on Davis and was knocked out in the first round. Davis picked up a tournament title and secured the right to fight light heavyweight champ Liam McGeary, who notched his first title defense in Saturday’s headliner with a submission of UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz.

Before doctors called off his bout, Lawal said he contemplated fighting Davis in a southpaw stance to protect his ribs, but he found himself unable to throw a jab or shoot for a takedown.

“I thought about being on top and working from top position, but I couldn’t move,” he said. “It was bad, because I love making money. I had to turn down an extra payday because I was hurt.”

A rib injury can take anywhere from several weeks to several months to heal, especially when it comes to tears that affect the body during movement. Lawal, however, said he’s already seen improvements.

“They said anywhere from six to eight weeks, but we’ll see,” he said. “I can actually sit up a little more. Before, I couldn’t turn in my bed. I couldn’t sneeze. I’m going to get worked on by somebody (on Tuesday). Right now, I’m icing it and taking anti-inflammatories.”

When he’s healthy, Lawal said he’s willing to face any opponent Bellator chooses, including Ortiz, whom he’s previously called out.

Bellator is co-promoting a New Year’s Eve event in Japan that features heavyweight icon Fedor Emelianenko (34-4), airing live on Spike. Lawal said he’d gladly volunteer to fight in the country where he got his start as an MMA fighter.

“Fighting Tito does nothing for my career,” Lawal said. “Fighting him is for nothing but a paycheck, but if he wants it, he can get it. For the most part, I’m not out there trying to get him. I wouldn’t mind fighting Phil Davis. I’ll fight Fedor in Japan. I’ll fight anybody.

“I didn’t see (Davis’) second fight because I was in the hospital, but I heard he looked great. So I wouldn’t mind fighting him. Actually, I’d love to fight him.”

With Davis scheduled to fight McGeary, it could be a while before the tourney champ is available. Lawal, however, said staying active is the more important than the opponent.

“I’d fight Fedor if they let me,” he said. “I’m not in the game of waiting. I waited for the UFC because I could have went there; they told me to wait. The thing is with me, I’m in the game of getting paid. So as soon as I’m healthy, I’m going to fight. If you keep on winning, you’ll get what you need to get.”

For more on Bellator 142, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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