Muhammed Lawal: ‘King Mo’ Claims MMA Is ‘Not A Real Sport’ Because It Is ‘Entertainment’


In a scenario when people are asked what MMA is, they will most likely classify it as a sport. Out of those who agree with such, there will be a percentage that will detail it even more on the lines of combat sports, a category in which wrestling and boxing are associated to. A recent example that proves just how much of a combat sport MMA is can be seen in the fight Robbie Lawler had against Rory MacDonald in their rematch at UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor. Anyone who saw it will agree it was one of the most violently brutalizing fights this year.

Even with the aforementioned example, there is one MMA fighter who believes MMA is “not a real sport” and that is Muhammed Lawal, who is better known as King Mo. As a matter of fact, Lawal actually thinks MMA is closer to WWE by calling it entertainment.

Muhammed Lawal’s aggressively harsh words towards MMA were said during Media Tuesday for the upcoming Bellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 taking place on Saturday, September 19, 2015, as reported by MMA Fighting. While promoting his upcoming fight against Linton Vassell at the hybrid event, Lawal relayed his thoughts on what MMA is.

“MMA is entertainment. People don’t get that. ‘Oh, it’s a sport.’ When fans are like, ‘This is a black eye for our sport.’ No, it’s entertainment, playa. You got the game wrong. This is entertainment. We’re here to entertain. It’s entertainment. It ain’t really a true sport just yet. If it’s gonna be a true sport, they gotta do a lot more to make it a true sport.”

To be fair, Muhammed Lawal does have a point because MMA is based on television ratings and pay-per-view buys, which is very similar to WWE. However, King Mo is failing to bring up that combat sports settle on different rules compared to team sports like football, basketball, baseball, and the like. Yet, those are the sports Lawal was exampling from for his argument, as detailed by MMA Frenzy.

“If the [football] game is 3-0, what do y’all say? Defense wins games. Basketball in a low-scoring game, man that’s great defense. The Spurs, great team. Ravens, great team. Defensive team. It doesn’t have to be a blowout, if it’s a high-scoring game, oh we’re entertained. That’s crazy. But the defense of these teams suck. That’s what y’all say. MMA, if I’m 30-0 and I got 29 decisions, what are people gonna say about me? That I’m boring. ‘Oh, Mo just lays and prays. Mo did this. Boo!’ And guess what’s gonna happen? If they start booing me because I fight a certain way, this is what’s gonna happen: I might get cut if I lose and I won’t headline nothing. In true sports, all that matters is the result.”

Of course, some in the MMA community will disagree with Muhammed Lawal. Yet, from Lawal’s explanation, it is evident defensive/technical fighters in MMA do get the short end of the stick. As the coup de grâce of his argument, Lawal even said for MMA to be considered a sport, its biggest star needs to actually be a fighter. With that in mind, who in MMA can be a bigger star than an MMA fighter? Clarified, who can be a bigger star than Ronda Rousey? To Muhammed Lawal, the answer is the man who made “Rowdy” who she is today: UFC President Dana White.

[Image via Muhammed Lawal’s Official Facebook Page]

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