‘King Mo’ continues stump for Fedor Emelianenko, wants Bellator heavyweight title

Muhammed Lawal

After cleaning house this past week for the upstart Rizin MMA promotion, Bellator’s Muhammed Lawal is still pitching a fight against heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko.

“Bellator let me go out there and showcase my skills,” said Lawal, who beat three opponents to win the Japanese promotion’s inaugural heavyweight tournament. “So now, I want to do them a favor. I want to help them out by bringing Fedor over here and fighting free on Spike TV.”

How generous, the Viacom-owned promotion might tell Lawal. Of course, it’s not just about giving Bellator a boost, but his own career. Emboldened by his recent run at heavyweight, “King Mo” wants to pick up titles in the big-man division and his usual one at light heavyweight, and even middleweight.

Emelianenko (36-4), recent Bellator light heavyweight tourney winner Phil Davis (15-3 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and Bellator light heavyweight champ Liam McGeary (11-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) could be a three-punch combo for Lawal (19-4 MMA, 8-3 BMMA). No rush for the latter two, he stresses, but they’d be nice.

“I’d rather catch the heavyweight title first, then cut down,” he said. “I would just fight at my normal walk-around weight, and after that cut down to 185. So it would go (Bellator heavyweight champ Vitaly) Minakov, then on down.

“I lost weight in Japan,” Lawal said. “I weighed in at 213 (pounds) and I ate breakfast that day. As time went on, I just lost weight. I probably left there weighing 210, 209.5.”

Minakov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) has been MIA from Bellator since 2014. Emelianenko, though, is the crown jewel. Although diminished by a trio of losses on U.S. soil in 2010 and 2011, the Russian’s aura still pulls at Lawal.

“Fedor’s a legend,” he said. “People want to talk bad about him and say he’s fighting nobodies. But Fedor’s a legend. And me versus Fedor would do numbers.”

In 2015, Lawal dipped his toe into the heavyweight pool, facing UFC vet Cheick Kongo this past February and winning a split decision with a wrestling-heavy approach. Kongo is a more physically imposing fighter than Emelianenko, thus Lawal likes his chances in the bout.

And besides, Lawal added, “Who doesn’t want to fight Fedor?”

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