By Jody Kohn

In this final segment about King Mo we will focus on his future, which is getting brighter every day.  Finally, it appears that Mo has turned a corner and is allowing the negatives of his recent past fade away.

Above everything else, the most positive thing is that his health his returning.  Without that, nothing else really matters.  The staph has finally left his body and Mo is even able to move around without use of crutches or a Walmart motorized buggy.  Before too long he will be able to resume training.  It is clear that the improved health has lifted Mo’s spirits as well.

Although his career is still in limbo, it appears his options may not be as limited as previously suspected.  After reaching out to commissioner Lundvall and apologizing for his remarks, it appears Dana White has warmed to the possibility of Mo returning to the Zuffa banner at some point.  Lawal has said he and Lundvall had a good conversation and both were able to clarify the misunderstanding.  It appears that Mo was being honest in that he genuinely seems to appreciate the talk they had.  It’s unfortunate the situation happened, but it’s nice to see both have been able to move past it.

Like several fighters before, an apology seems to go a long way as far as White is concerned.  Always one to say stupid things himself, but never needing to apologize, White usually overreacts in situations like these.  Instead of standing back and evaluating the situation, White tends to fire first and ask questions later.  Like in the Miguel Torres situation, the firing of Mo seems to have gone too far.  Did the situation need to be addressed?  Of course, but the punishment far outweighed the crime here.  As was the case with Torres, it is likely the apology and some time (9 months?), will be enough to get Mo back in their good graces.

The other possibility awaiting Mo is the world of professional wrestling.  An admitted fan, Mo has stated before that at some point he would consider trying it.  With all this going down, it may speed up his decision to make the move.  It seems a natural fit if the folks at WWE or TNA know what to do with him.  With Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley attempting the crossover, it seems that they would love to have a crack at Mo.  Unlike Lashley, and to a lesser degree Lesnar, in Lawal they would have a legit mma fighter competing in the wrestling ring.  Instead of Lashley and Lesnar going from wrestling to fighting, in Mo they would have a legit fighter who happened to wrestle as well.  Where the other two lack credibility in some wrestling fans’ eyes, and to almost all mma fans, Lawal would not get the same criticism since he has proven himself in the cage.

Finally, without the constraints of a Zuffa contract, Mo could likely mix and match as he chooses.  Doing both would likely shine the spotlight on him, allowing him more exposure to fans than he would ever see in Strikeforce.  If he were to wrestle while at the same time taking random mma matches, he would become the center of attention wherever he went.

Ultimately I expect to see Mo competing in the UFC when his suspension has been served.  It would give him a chance to see where he stands among the best fighters in the world.  Like them or not, if you are not competing in the UFC, you are not competing against the best the sport has to offer.  And since he thinks he can be the best, I would be surprised if he didn’t want to take up the challenge.  However, other lucrative possibilities seem to exist for him.  Ultimately he will have to decide what is best for him and his future.  With his health concerns and competing in a short-lived career, he needs to be wise in moving forward.

Muhammed Lawal has had quite a ride in his combat sports career.  It has been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  After surviving his lowest point yet, it seems he is poised to reach new heights.  To have both your personal problems and health issues made to be a public spectacle is something that is hard to fathom.  When I got busted by my wife looking at porn on my computer, I will admit I was quite embarrassed. Fortunately, my wife was the only one who saw.  Mo made a couple of mistakes and it became public fodder. The actual truth does not matter, and public perception is something that can be hard to deal with.  I think Mo has handled the situation quite admirably.

It’s time for Mo and us fans to forget about the past and look to the future.  Realize that Mo is a great personality outside the cage, and one of the best inside of it.  When he returns to action, whether it be in mma or pro wrestling, we can look forward to being entertained.  After his latest turmoil, it will be nice to see Mo put that behind him and do what he does best, put on a show.  For those fans who want to beat up on him, calling him a cheater, a liar, or not worthy of your support, all i can say is you don’t know Mo.