Sherdog’s Top 10: Trash Talkers

Ever the showman, Muhammed Lawal has carved out a kingly niche for himself. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

9. Muhammed Lawal

“King Mo” has always brought more than a bit of flair to his MMA career. The braggadocio that led him to walk out in Dream with a coterie of Japanese schoolgirls and a crown has also fed his fantastic repertoire of trash talk over the years. Beyond his elite wrestling skills and athleticism, that attention to hype and showmanship has made Lawal an asset to every promotion for which he has fought.

When matched up with the seemingly emotionless Gegard Mousasi in Strikeforce, for example, Lawal said he sounded like Kermit the Frog. It is no easy feat to create material for someone like Mousasi, but “King Mo” found a way. Following his fight with Quinton Jackson in Bellator MMA, Lawal uttered the now-infamous “dick-riding ass” line in reference to the cozy relationship between Bellator founder Bjorn Rebney and “Rampage.” Even overmatched opponents like Jacob Noe got the benefit of some Lawal trash talk.

Despite the fact that he will probably never again break into the division’s elite, Lawal has used his personality and flair for the dramatic to make himself a marketable commodity and maximize his value. That is no mean feat.

Number 8 » Now nearly two decades into a career that includes a UFC light heavyweight championship reign and more big-time matchups than most fighters will ever dream about, the venerable “Bad Boy” is one of the pioneers of MMA trash talk.