NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA fighter "King" Mo Lawal.

"King" Mo will be making his Bellator debut Thursday, January 24, when he faces Przemyslaw Mysiala in the opening round of the Bellator season eight, eight-man light heavyweight tournament. This fight takes place at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. It will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Spike TV and in the Spanish language on mun2.

Although "King" Mo is perhaps the most prominent fighter to join the ranks of Bellator MMA, he will start his title quest like everyone else, in a tournament - and that is fine with him.

"I started off in wrestling tournaments. To me I look at this tournament as a prolonged wrestling tournament," said "King" Mo, a three-time U.S. national champion in freestyle wrestling, in this interview which was recorded by phone Thursday.

"I'm actually honored to be in the tournament because I don't feel like I deserve a title shot right away. I have to prove myself by beating the rest of the guys in the tournament to get a title shot," he continued.

We also discussed whether he expects to be hampered by ring rust since he hasn't fought in about a year, what to expect in his fight with Mysiala, advice he received from Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxing and MMA, why he is so impressed with three-time NCAA champion wrestler Kyle Dake, freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, his release last year from Strikeforce being a blessing in disguise, and more.

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