Bellator 106 is a stacked event that features a number of can’t-miss bouts. Even though the fight between Tito Ortiz and Quinton Jackson has fallen apart due to Tito’s neck injury, this card still features three title fights. Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler 2 will get most of the coverage due to the drama of their first fight, but the interim light heavyweight title fight is a rematch that deserves some attention as well. This is because the two competitors — Emanuel Newton and Muhammed Lawal — represent two contrasting conceptions of what it means to be an African-American athlete, and that dynamic has turned this contest into more of a grudge match than one would have originally expected.
“King Mo” Lawal is the more well-known fighter. A former Strikeforce champion and current TNA wrestler, he never seems to shy away from the camera or microphone. This isn’t necessarily a bad trait, as he shows no fear when it comes to speaking his mind in reference to any question thrown his way, which makes him very popular in mixed martial arts media circles. However, that willingness to talk honestly and without a filter may have cost him his job with Zuffa. And while Lawal’s brand of outspokenness is often found in African-American athletes, it is just as often despised by fans. Words such as “arrogant” and “cocky” are thrown his way, and it’s hard to see an individual who wears a crown to the cage and fights with a “flamboyant” style or “swagger” as anything but. Yet in a sport like MMA which rewards colorful and controversial characters — look at how far Chael Sonnen’s gift of gab has been able to get him — it’s not fundamentally wrong to cultivate such an image, but that doesn’t mean that the fans will always appreciate his rhetoric and antics. And that can affect a fighter’s value to a particular promotion.
Then there is Emmanuel Newton. He’s an individual whose lifestyle is starkly different than what people associate with the stereotypical African-American male demographic. His nickname, “The Hardcore Kid,” refers to a music scene that is popular in Southern California, a scene that is not very well known beyond those who enjoy it. It is an aesthetic that is much different from the hip-hop sensibility that “King Mo” embraces and promotes. The differences between the cultures that the two men represent have sparked statements in the run up to their fight that have been tinged with racial overtones.
In one interview, Lawal called Newton a “black skinhead” due to his enjoyment of the hardcore lifestyle, which prompted a response from Newton that labeled Lawal’s comments as “ignorance.” Lawal has also claimed that Newton once called him a racially derogatory term in a sauna during a weight-cutting session. Newton, however, has denied these claims, saying that he doesn’t remember the conversation going down in that fashion.
This isn’t the first time that Lawal has been associated with racial controversies. His war of words with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was marred with racial overtones, and he was released from Strikeforce after a Twitter rant and other public statements directed against NSAC member Pat Lundvall, including one where he called her a “racist [expletive].”
While the back and forth between the two fighters has added fuel to an already heated contest, what will be even more intriguing to watch will be the way the fans in attendance will respond to the two individuals. Lawal often fights in a fan-friendly style that can quickly and brutally end fights, but has been heavily booed recently. Newton may be the underdog, but he showed during their first confrontation that he can handle Lawal’s approach. Even before the highlight reel knockout, he was doing good work against the former Strikeforce champion.
The bout between Emmanuel Newton and “King Mo” Lawal for the interim light heavyweight title is shaping up to be a good fight on paper, but the racial controversies outside of the cage have added a storyline element that makes this a grudge match which should not be missed.
• Muhammed Lawal vs. Emanuel Newton (Interim LHW Championship)
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Bellator 106: Chandler vs. Alvarez II will take place on November 2, 2013 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California.
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