Muhammed Lawal’s retirement fight didn’t exactly go as planned – all thanks to Andrew Kapel.
A relatively unknown fighter and promotional debutant, Kapel (15-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) entered the cage opposite an MMA legend. Prior to their Bellator 233 showdown in November 2019, Lawal (21-10 MMA, 10-7 BMMA) had announced the fight would be his last. “King Mo” had already previously retired in early 2019 but decided to come back for one more fight.
In the span of 82 seconds, Kapel ruined Lawal’s aspirations of ending his career with a victory. After Lawal caught Kapel’s kick, the longtime MMA veteran swung for a counter hook. In the exchange, Lawal’s hook missed, but Kapel’s didn’t. Kapel floored Lawal and finished the fight with some follow up blows.
After the fight, Lawal left his gloves in the center of the cage – signaling the end of a storied 11-year career.
Check out Andrew Kapel’s knockout of Muhammed Lawal in the video above.
Bellator free fight: Andrew Kapel spoils Muhammed Lawal's retirement fight with 82-second knockout