Feijao Shocks King Mo
Light Heavyweight Championship: Muhammed King Mo Lawal vs. Rafael Cavalcante Cavalcante was the first fighter to really bring the action…
Light Heavyweight Championship: Muhammed King Mo Lawal vs. Rafael Cavalcante
Cavalcante was the first fighter to really bring the action in this fight, rushing King Mo right out of the gate. However, the Brazilian failed to land anything significant, and Lawal quickly blasted forward with a flurry of his own. When the two fighters clinched, the champion picked up the challenger, slamming Cavalcante to the floor, but the fight quickly worked its way back to the feet. By the midpoint of the round, the pace had slowed considerably, as each fighter continued to feel out his opponent. However, Cavalcante landed several big knees, including one the the head of Lawal. Still, Lawal seemed unfazed and willing to stand and strike, at least for the remainder of the round. The pace slowed once again, and King Mo taunted his opponent in a minor way. Cavalcante landed a nice leg kick to make sure that didn’t happen again as the round came to a close.
Cavalcante picked up the second round the same way he ended the first, landing a solid leg kick right off the bat. Lawal pushed forward and looked to put together a strong flurry, but Cavalcante avoided it. After some rather unexciting moments, Cavalcante landed some nice shots, but allowed Lawal to score a takedown. Once again, Cavalcante quickly worked his way back to the feet. Back to the striking game, the challenger lunged forward with strikes, but Lawal evaded, only to come back with several body shots to the midsection of Cavalcante. Lawal finally began to turn it on, attacking Cavalcante, whose back was against the cage. However, the strikes did not seem to affect Cavalcante, but it did appear as though he was fading. But he was not too tired to avoid another takedown attempt as the round came to a close.
The third round began with a bang, as Cavalcante landed a huge right hand that staggered Lawal. King Mo smiled, but ate another huge shot, this time in the form of a knee. A damaged Lawal began shifting backwards, and Cavalcante landed a right that floored his opponent. Lawal desperately looked for a takedown and rushed Cavalcante back into the cage after eating several punches. Lawal clung on to a single leg, but Cavalcante reigned down elbows to the side of his head. Referee John McCarthy finally rescued Lawal when his arm dropped and his defenses seemed simply ineffective. With tears in his eyes, Cavalcante raised his arms in victory, earning the Strikeforce light heavyweight title. Very impressive victory for the new champion. Cavalcante def. Lawal via technical knockout at 1:14 of Round 3.
