“King Mo” destroys Kerr, Fedor taps Mousasi

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Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal needed a mere 25 seconds to dispose of Mark Kerr in the main event of “M-1: Breakthrough”.

The show, billed as a “Premier Event” by M-1, was highlighted by a sparring exhibition between Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi. Mousasi, one of the fastest rising MMA stars on the planet and a guy that Dana White desperately covets, held his own for much of the sparring match. He nearly secured an armbar and a kimura, but was seemingly no match for Fedor’s sambo throws and size. Emelianenko forced a tapout with an armbar to end the friendly. There was never any real chance of Mousasi winning the match…if you get my drift.

But it was King Mo who made the most impact on this evening. Facing off against a fading opponent who took the fight on short notice, Lawal moved his record to 5-0 with a quick, decisive and brutal victory over an opponent who probably should never step in the cage again. He will fight again, though, because all fighters have a tough time accepting that it’s time to hang up the gloves and Kerr is no different.

Lawal scored a quick takedown that apparently injured the shoulder of “The Smashing Machine”, and Kerr could do little to defend against Lawal’s punches from the back. After seeing five uncontested and hard shots land on the unconscious Kerr, the referee finally stopped the fight. But not until Lawal sent Kerr’s mouthpiece flying across the ring with another brutal punch.

It was a display that I don’t need to see repeated. I know that Mark Kerr believes he can still compete, but he cannot. He cannot compete at the highest level, or even a moderate level against untested opponents.

What about Lawal? He’s a free agent, which means he’s almost certainly going to get some type of offer from both the UFC and Strikeforce. Despite his lack of experience, Lawal is personable and entertaining, and that will score him some points with both promotions. He’ll get bigger offers in Japan, a country where he’s far more known and far more popular than the United States, but he seems determined to make a name for himself in America.