King Mo Q&A: Reality TV, Self Competition and Peanut Butter Cups

Muhammed Lawal, more popularly known as King Mo, will look to advance in the Bellator MMA Heavyweight Grand Prix and move one step closer to earning the organization’s title when he faces current light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, May 12.  Mo sits down with Tony Reid of MyMMANews.com ahead of his upcoming Bellator 199 first round tournament fight.

Tony Reid – What is something that the world doesn’t know about you?

King Mo – “I love TV. I watch a lot of reality TV. I love Hip Hop Atlanta and Hip Hop New York, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Orange County. I am a TV head. My show is American Horror Story. That’s my show right there.”

TR – What is the best advice you could give to a younger Mo?

KM – “Stop and enjoy life. Enjoy the moment. That is one thing I can tell you. After a fight I don’t really celebrate victories. I just go back to my room and chill. I want to start enjoying myself and my time.”

TR – What is your inspiration to fight?

KM – “I do it because I think it’s fun. I enjoy training, I enjoy it all. I like to get paid. I ain’t trying to be a broke world champion or a broke fighter. I love training. I love going to the gym. I love grappling. I love wrestling. I love boxing and I love kickboxing. I like the sport but the culture I don’t really care for.”

TR – What is the best memory from your first fight?

KM – “I was so broke that when I was flying to Japan I couldn’t even pay for my bags. I actually had to borrow money to have enough to fly my bags to Japan.”

TR – What was the best moment in your career so far?

KM – “Just training. That’s the best time. I love being in the gym and training.”

TR – What is the one thing that differentiates MMA from to other sports?

KM – “It’s one on one combat. Whether it’s MMA, boxing, kickboxing or wrestling. You are out there testing your skills against another man. Any time you have one on one combat you will have a test of wills, a test of strength, and a test of speed, quickness, agility and smarts.”

TR – Who has been your best opponent?

KM – “Myself. When it comes down to it you are competing against yourself. You might be fighting another man but you are your own biggest opponent when it comes right down to it.”

TR – Best way to get pumped before a fight?

KM – “For me, nothing but for other fighters, just look at your bank account. If it’s low, then you need to get your ass warming up and go get that check.”

TR – What was your favorite job before becoming a fighter?

KM – “Being an amateur wrestler.”

TR – If you could choose three people past or present who are you having over to the crib for dinner?

KM – “I would have Muhammad Ali, Walter Payton and my mom.”

TR – Best guilty pleasure?

KM – “Sweets, man. I have a sweet tooth. It can be anything, black jelly beans. It can be ice cream, caramel popcorn, chocolate peanut butter cups or Snickers. If its sweet and it tastes good I am going to eat it!”

TR – What is the best lesson life has handed you?

KM – “Something my mom taught we was to be myself. Don’t try to be something you’re not.”

Tony Reid

In July of 2008 Tony Reid launched an MMA inspired clothing line that he named Reid Fight Wear. He saw a need in the MMA clothing market for a more classic, clean and timeless design and less of the dated styles seen then. In the process of major life changes, Tony cashed out his 401(k), emptied his bank account and put his heart and soul into building the brand. In August 2009 Tony began writing for TapouT and MMA Worldwide Magazines. There he created Rattling the Cage, an MMA specific news site and home for all of his work. In May of 2012 Reid began writing for Ultimate MMA Magazine, launching an MMA Legends and MMA Officials Series. Also in May of the same year he started appearing regularly on ESPN 92.3 WVSL as the MMA Insider. In early August of 2012 Reid was named General Manager of UFC Fighter Tim Boetsch’s Barbarian Combat Sports in Sunbury, PA. By December 2012 Reid started contributing to Fighters Only Magazine. "The World's Leading MMA and Lifestyle Magazine" is sold in over 30 countries around the world and has the largest reach of any international magazine of its type. In May of 2013 Reid became a monthly segment host on Sirius XM Radio. Appearing the first Thursday of every month on TapouT Radio on SiriusXM (Sirius 92 XM 208) in a segment he created called "On Blast!" where he puts people in the MMA world on notice. In June of 2013 Reid began writing for the UK based MMA Uncaged Magazine. In August of 2013, Reid launched "Rattling the Cage with Tony Reid" a talk radio show he hosted on ESPN 92.3 WVSL "The Valley's Sports Leader". The show aired over 100 episodes and featured some of the biggest and brightest stars in the world of combat sports. It was one of the most successful shows in the station's history. In May of 2016 Reid became a feature writer for FloCombat. In September of the same year Reid began writing for ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media property in history. Reid is happy to now join the team at MyMMANews as a contributor.

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