Bellator 175 recap: King Mo avenges 2014 loss to Rampage with decision win

Muhammed Lawal has wanted to avenge his controversial 2014 loss to Quinton Jacksonever since Jackson’s hand was raised three years ago, and he finally got his chance on Friday night — and he was successful.

In the main event of Chicago’s Bellator 175, “King Mo” squared off with “Rampage” for the second time — this time at heavyweight — and picked up a fairly clear unanimous decision victory. It wasn’t the most visibly-appealing bout, but the 36-year-old did what he had to do to best the former UFC champion.

Lawal, known for his wrestling, didn’t have too much success with takedowns. Instead, a lot of his dominance came from the clinch up against the fence, where, at times, the fight was inactive, forcing referee John McCarthy to separate the pair of fighters. Jackson had his moments, hurting his opponent on the feet in the second round, but Lawal seemed to be the fresher fighter in the later moments of the fight (that said, his cardio didn’t hold up too well, either). “King Mo” landed the cleaner shots for the most part, and all three judges gave him two of three rounds.

What was the highlight of the fight?

Despite the fact he lost, Jackson’s biggest moment was probably the highlight of the fight, and that was when he rocked “King Mo” in the second round. He landed a powerful left hand that caused Lawal to stumble backwards — but not get knocked down — and followed up with a combination, giving himself momentum. Lawal went for a desperate takedown but was unsuccessful in completing it. However, he was able to recover enough in the clinch, survive the rest of the round, and still win the fight.

Where do these two go from here?

For “King Mo,” this has already been settled. Immediately after the victory, a pivotal matchup opposite former UFC contender Ryan Bader, which will likely determine light heavyweight champ Phil Davis’ first title challenger, was announced for Bellator 180.

On the other hand, Jackson’s future isn’t as clear. It sounds like he has a contractual obligation to fight for the UFC in his next fight, but his return to his longtime home hasn’t been confirmed. And whether he’ll fight at heavyweight again or return to light heavyweight isn’t clear, either. So I essentially just have to spitball at this point, but a rematch with Mauricio Rua is actually really intriguing to me right now.

Watch now, later, or never?

You can probably pass on this one.