HONOLULU – How do you make yourself stand out at a pre-fight press conference on a stage full of MMA talent?

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed Lawal sure found a way: Don’t be afraid to speak your mind on call-out, however surprising it may be.

“After this, I want Matt Mitrione’s bitch ass,” Lawal told MMAjunkie at a press conference promoting Saturday’s Bellator 213 event in Hawaii. “That’s who I want. That’s who I want next, but he’s already booked – but hopefully ya’ll can make that happen because I don’t like his bitch ass.

“Let that be known. Y’all can tweet that. He’s a ho.”

Lawal (21-7 MMA, 10-5 BMMA) faces former Bellator light heavyweight champ Liam McGeary (12-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) on the DAZN-broadcast main card of Saturday’s event, which takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

It’s a return to the light heavyweight division for moneyweight Lawal, whose last four fights have all been in the heavyweight division. He’s gone 2-2 in those contests, and it may seem staying at 205 pounds would be an easier route.

But as a fellow entrant into Bellator’s heavyweight grand prix, which wraps up in January with a Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko final, “King Mo” said his evaluation of Mitrione’s bout with Roy Nelson drew some criticism – and some heat.

And while Mitrione (13-6 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) is currently slotted to face Sergei Kharitonov (28-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) at February’s Bellator 215, Lawal said he wants to line up a bout.

“He’s just mad because I thought that him and Roy Nelson should have went an extra round,” Lawal said. “He started talking, running his mouth, and after I lost to Bader, he started running his mouth some more. And after he got smashed by Bader, I didn’t say nothing because I’m not like that. I’m not going to make fun of nobody after they lost. But now, we can make something happen after he gets his ass whipped by Kharitonov.

“If we get a chance to fight, let’s make it happen.”

For more on Bellator in Hawaii, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.