Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion – Muhammed Lawal announced earlier today that he’s hanging up the gloves for good.
The 38-years-old made his pro debut in the world of mixed martial arts 11 years ago and now he’s retiring with 21 wins, 9 loses and 1 “No Contest”.
The American never fought under the UFC banner, but he was still regarded as one of the top guys in the light heavyweight division of MMA. “King Mo” lost 5 of his previous 7 bouts, as his last W came in against Quinton Jackson in 2017.
It’s been on my mind for a while,” Lawal told mmafighting.com.
“I just put it in the back of my head. It was the pain from the injuries that was messing me up and my lack of range of motion from my hip and my knee. I’ve been fighting most of my career with no legs, a messed up knee or a messed up hip and after I had that hip surgery where they put titanium metal in my hip, it kind of made me think — I’m going to need a knee replacement, I’m going to need an elbow replacement, I’m going to need a hip replacement.
“I was like I’m getting old, I’m 38, I’ve got kids. I can’t even run right now. I can’t even jog really. I’m that bad. It’s to the point where if I can’t jog or sprint or be explosive, then I’ve got to stop.
“I had so many surgeries. Probably 30 or 40 surgeries. I remember the first time I had anesthesia when I had my ACL done, I went right to the movies and watched a movie after that. Now as I’ve gotten older when I get the anesthesia, I don’t know where I’m at. I look all jacked up. My last surgery, I was like this is my last surgery because my body doesn’t act the same.”
