Sengoku Notebook: Gomi Hints at Sabbatical

‘King Mo’ still a student of the game

In an attempt to show dimensions beyond his superior amateur wrestling pedigree, Muhammed Lawal put his developing striking skills on display in his latest performance -- a first-round technical knockout victory over Yukiya Naito at “No Ran 2009.”

Afterwards, “King Mo” hinted he may next flex his submission game, which has been honed through work with Dean Lister and Jason “Mayhem” Miller, among others.

“That’s what I’m working toward,” he said. “Who knows? I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, and, hopefully, I’ll be in a position to pull them off in the next fight.”

Trainer Ryan Parsons called Lawal (3-0) “a coach’s dream,” explaining that “the best thing about ‘Mo’ is that he has the ability -- at only three months and one week into his career -- to execute vastly different gameplans depending on the opponent. [In] his three fights, he followed his gameplans perfectly, and each fight was very different. The people watching his fights are going to have a hard time [gameplanning for him] because he has so many options.”

Lawal has garnered attention with his brash in-ring persona but thinks some people miss the point.

“See, that’s really me, though. I’m a king -- mind, body, and soul,” he said. “I feel everybody should be treated like a king, because everyone deserves that kind of respect. I don’t call myself ‘King Mo’ because I feel like I’m better than everyone else. I do it because I treat myself with respect, like how I try to treat everyone else. It runs deeper.”

Lawal was quick to remind people that he remains green in the MMA world.

“People seem to forget that [this is my third fight],” he said. “They think I’m a veteran now. [Sunday] night’s fight was sloppy. I got lots to learn.”

Ishii drops in on Sengoku

Midway through the “No Ran 2009” event, 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii made a surprise appearance. Clad in a UFC T-shirt, the nervous judoka reaffirmed his intent to compete in the United States but claimed he would return to the Sengoku ring with a “big souvenir” from his stint stateside.

Sengoku Public Relations Director Takahiro Kokuho reinforced his promotion’s interest in Ishii but also pointed out that the decorated judoka had not signed with anyone yet.

“We will respect his will to fight in the states, but if by any chance he returns to Japan, I’d love to have him as a Sengoku fighter,” Kokuho said. “He came to [Sunday’s] event because he trains at Wajutsu Keishukai and Yoshida Dojo. He came to cheer for the fighters from those gyms that were fighting today.”

News and Notes

• Kokuho indicated he would like both Kitaoka and Santiago to defend their respective titles at least once by July. Shifting focus to the immediate future, however, he turned his attention toward plans to kick off a featherweight tournament series in March, not unlike the one Dream has planned for 2009. Unlike Dream, Kokuho confirmed the weight limit for the Sengoku tournament will be set at 143 pounds and will feature 16 fighters, eight of whom have already committed. “The winner of the featherweight tournament will become the champion. I am planning to have a tournament for welterweights, as well,” Kokuho said. The welterweight tournament could feature Makoto Takimoto, who “told me he can cut down to the weight,” according to Kokuho;

• Count Eiji Mitsuoka among those who want a crack at Kitaoka’s title. The Japanese standout submitted world-ranked Russian Sergei Golyaev with a first-round armbar at “No Ran 2009.” “I’m one step closer to winning that belt,” he said. “That’ll be my goal for this year. Although, leg locks are scary.” Mitsuoka (15-6-2) succumbed to a heel hook from Kitaoka in the lightweight grand prix;

• Heavyweight prospect Dave Herman admitted his pre-fight preparation leaves a lot to be desired after he suffered the first defeat of his career in a TKO loss to Mu Bae Choi. “I do [take fighting seriously] once I’m there,” Herman said. “My preparation probably hasn’t been the best so far … got something to work toward. So far, I haven’t really had a fight that I had to prepare for. Obviously, I should have prepared for this one, but it was a good experience. Hopefully, I learned something.” Herman (13-1) won his first 13 fights, 12 of them inside one round;

• Kitaoka addressed the possibility of a potential bout with training partner Shinya Aoki, who defeated Eddie Alvarez at K-1 “Premium 2008 Dynamite” on New Year’s Eve. “It’s not the time to fight him yet. Now is the time to just train with him so that we can make each other stronger,” he said.