The world is still abuzz from the failed UFC debut of former WWE star CM Punk, who was abruptly tapped out by the young Mickey Gall on the main card of UFC 203.
In the days following Punk’s Octagon slip, many of the game’s top fighters have offered up their thoughts on the whole ordeal. One of the latest to do so is current Bellator light heavyweight Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, whose experience in both MMA and pro wrestling makes his take on Punk’s situation particularly interesting.
“Here’s the thing man,” King Mo told Ariel Helwani on the latest episode of The MMA Hour. “He’s new to this sport, he jumped in head-first. I could tell he felt good. The crowd didn’t get to him, but when he got in the cage, the nerves got to him. When the fight started, instead of just settling down and moving around a little bit, he shuffles forward in kill mode.”
Despite Punk’s fairly lopsided loss, however, King Mo said the pro wrestler’s UFC debut was not without a silver lining.
“My silver lining is, he’s a fighter,” King Mo explained. “Any normal man would have tapped when he was getting beat up like that, and would have quit. He didn’t quit! He was getting pummelled, he was put in every bad position. He was flattened out and getting hit, and you know what, he kept on trying. There are some champions out there that have tapped to strikes. He kept on fighting and tried to win.”
Because Punk proved he is a fighter at heart, King Mo believes he should be given another shot in the UFC’s Octagon – contrary to the opinion of UFC President Dana White.
“I’d bring him back,” King Mo says. “He wants to fight. I think it’s great when a guy like that puts in time and effort and puts it all on the line. People will say he shouldn’t be in the UFC, but the UFC signed him, so give him a chance, let him fight out his contract. This is a dream for him.”
“I don’t know if the UFC will allow it. I don’t really know what the UFC’s doing. I don’t keep up with them, I just keep up with my fighters that I’m cool with in the UFC, but I hope he gets a chance to fight again [in the UFC]. But if he don’t, come on over to Bellator, dog, we’ll get you a fight over here too.”
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