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Scott Coker explains ‘King Mo’ Lawal’s move to Rizin FF for Jiri Prochazka title rematch
Muhammed Lawal will be the latest Bellator fighter to test his luck in a Rizin FF championship fight when he heads to Japan to meet Jiri Prochazka for the inaugural light heavyweight title.
After Bellator bantamweight champ Darrion Caldwell failed to beat Kyoji Horiguchi for the Rizin FF belt in December, Lawal (21-8) will be lent over to the Japanese organization to face Prochazka (23-3-1) at the April 21 event, which takes place at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, and streams on Fite TV.
This isn’t the first time “King Mo” has been allowed to fight for Rizin FF while under Bellator contract. He hasn’t done so since December 2016, though, and Bellator President Scott Coker said the latest opportunity came up because of his growing relationship with Rizin FF.
“I am committed to keeping martial arts in Japan strong and by sending top Bellator athletes like ‘King Mo’ to compete for RIZIN in April, we are doing just that,” Coker said in a statement issued to MMAjunkie. “I enjoy collaborating with Nobuyuki Sakakibara and continuing to build upon the solid relationship he and I have had throughout the years. I look forward to more joint ventures between Bellator and Rizin in the near future and wish Mo good luck in his quest to become a champion of RIZIN.”
The fight between Lawal and Prochazka will mark a rematch of a December 2015 heavyweight grand prix final bout under the Rizin FF banner. In what was the third fight in three days for both men, Lawal scored a first-round knockout of Prochazka courtesy of a devastating punch.
Lawal has gone 2-4 since their encounter, while Prochazka has gone on a seven-fight tear that has seen him knock out every opponent.
The rematch between Lawal and Prochazka will be a key matchup at Rizin FF, which is headlined by the promotion’s bantamweight champion Horiguchi (26-2) fighting former UFC fighter Ben Nguyen (16-8) in a 132-pound catchweight affair.
The latest Rizin FF 15 card includes:
- Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen
- Muhammed Lawal vs. Jiri Prochazka – for inaugural light heavyweight title
- Mikuru Asakura vs. Luiz Gustavo
- Kai Asakura vs. Ulka Sasaki
For more on Rizin FF 15, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
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