'King Mo' Lawal in Over His Head Against Mousasi

Reports and rumors abound that a May card will feature Mohammed 'King Mo' Lawal vs Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi. Much of the coverage of this match up has focused the business angle for Strikeforce, what has been lost in this discussion is that 'King Mo' is completely out of his class facing Mousasi.

Lawal is a self described "money weight" fighter, meaning he can fight at either heavyweight or light heavyweight, which ever makes him more money.

Lawal is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the sport of MMA, with three U.S. National Championships, an NCAA championship, a top eight placing at World Championships and narrowly missing an Olympic team slot in 2008. Athletic, powerful, and experienced there shouldn't be many better ground games in MMA.

I say shouldn't because for a large part we don't know. Lawal has progressed very quickly in MMA, so quickly that in only his one year training in MMA he has taken a milestone step that takes most wrestlers three years, forgetting about wrestling all together.

Lawal has been matched against far inferior opponents for the six fights of his young career, which is not a bad thing. He has just come into this sport and no matter how talented a guy is in one aspect of MMA, a fighter needs live ring time to learn and grow.

But Lawal has not used his ring time this way, his focus can be summed up in one word "money," he wants to put on a show and make money. Again, nothing wrong with that, but its no the best way to develop as a prospect.

As a result, Lawal has not grown in his little over one year what-so-ever. His first fight against an overweight Travis Wiuff looks exactly like his match against peach-shaped Mike Whitehead. Lawal will move around ring/cage boxing away, and then only after dazing his opponent, shot for a takedown and then ended the match with ground-and-pound.

Lawal has fallen in love with his hands and his boxing is full of holes. Lawal rarely throws straight punches, comes straight forward with his head rigidly up, chin out throwing Wanderlei Silva hooks. In short, he is a counter-puncher's wet dream and has an untested chin to boot.

The biggest problem with his striking isn't the openings he leaves, it is his inability to create offense. Lawal does not kick, does not jab and cannot set up punches. Like other wrestlers turned strikers such as Rashad Evans, Ryan Bader or a younger Rampage Jackson he either throws an out of the blue right hand or has to work off the other fighter's offense.

Now these problems aren't crippling to his career, he can easily work through them, smooth them out in time and full fill his high expectations. But rather than take time develop Strikefroce is throwing him into the deep-end of the Light Heavyweight pool.

In early 2008, Mousasi was the hot prospect looking to prove himself in his DREAM debut against former PRIDE star Denis Kang. Mousasi has more than proved himself as a well-rounded fighter, champion and a worthy understudy of Fedor.

Mousasi has studied kickboxing and judo in the Netherlands, Sambo with Fedor, and also won the Netherlands amateur boxing championship and has a handful of pro fights.

In short, Mousasi's striking is vastly superior to Lawal's and there will be no openings for Lawal's overhand right. Mousasi will likely keep Lawal at a distance and leg kick him for much of that match as Lawal has never shown an ability to check kicks. When Lawal becomes frustrated and starts barreling forward, the openings for Mousasi's strikes will start to appear and Lawal will likely get dropped.

Lawal will, of course, will have the "punchers chance" if he stays standing, but will more than likely get worked on the feet. Mousasi takedown defense is somewhat unknown, his Judo is excellent but he hasn't been faced with a wrestler of Lawal's level.

Lawal's only chance is to return to his roots and out-wrestle Mousasi and even that is not a sure thing because Mousasi is very slick on the ground. And going to the ground is unlike because as stated Lawal is all about putting on a show and he will likely try to strike with Mousasi.

And if he does that Mousasi will set Lawal's rising star back a year with the beating he will administer. This match will make money, but on paper it looks to be a very short-sighted choice by Lawal and his camp.