Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed Lawal
Odds: (Mousasi / Lawal)
The evening’s second title bout sees Light Heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi answer the challenge of flamboyant and dynamic wrestler Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. Both men have huge amounts of knockout power, but Lawal brings a dynamic wrestling game to the table that Mousasi has never faced before, while Mousasi is the most talented and experienced fighter Lawal has faced yet, so this is a very compelling matchup.
Lawal, who has a very strong wrestling base, has risen to prominence due to his flamboyant pre-fight antics, outspoken interviews, and huge knockout power more than for his grappling prowess. Still, he is an explosive wrestler with a massive double leg, which makes him a formidable opponent for anyone when you consider how scary his punching is. The big question is how well he will handle the sizable step up in competition and whether he has the will and cardio to stay in the fight if it makes it into the championship rounds.
Mousasi is also a very powerful and dynamic striker who also sports a very underrated ground game. If there is a weak spot in his game it is his wrestling, but even that is not bad and he compensates will by being deceptively good off his back and being able to finish opponents with punches, kicks, and knees. While Lawal has the power to knock Mousasi out, there is no question that Mousasi is the more technically proficient striker and should be able to beat Lawal to the punch. The question is whether he will be able to control the clinch game or if Lawal has what it takes to overpower him.
In his fight against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Mousasi had a lot of problems dealing with Sokoudjou’s dynamic clinch game. Lawal is just as explosive and athletic, and there is no doubt that he will be able to take Mousasi down at least a few times. That said, I think it is too early in King Mo’s career for him to deal with a guy as dynamic as Mousasi, who is not just going to fold up on the ground and can dole out some serious punishment in the striking exchanges. I think this is going to be a very competitive fight, and Lawal will do some serious damage on the ground, but in a five round fight I see Lawal making a mistake and getting overwhelmed by Mousasi’s strikes.
Prediction: Gegard Mousasi via fourth round T/KO.
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