Former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Muhammed (King Mo) Lawal has failed a drug test.
Lawal, 31, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his win over Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine on Jan. 7.
Drostanolone is commonly used in bodybuilding, but in mixed martial arts some fighters have used the drug to assist them in cutting weight, despite it being a banned substance.
A handful of fighters have tested positive for drostanolone in the past including: former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, former UFC fighter Hermes Franca, Canadian MMA pioneer Bill Mahood and current UFC lightweight Dennis Hallman.
There is no word on how long King Mo will be suspended or how much he will be fined.
According to MMAjunkie.com, Lawal denied using a banned substance.
Fellow Strikeforce star Cristiane (Cyborg) Santos recently failed a drug test and was suspended for one year and fined $2,500.
Lawal is a three-time U.S. senior national wrestling champion and is 9-1 in MMA. He holds notable wins over Gegard Mousasi and Roger Gracie.
UPDATE: The UFC announced Tuesday that all potential UFC and Strikeforce signees will be subject to a mandatory pre-contract screening for performance-enhancing drugs.
“We’re committed to the health and safety of our athletes and we take it very seriously,” UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said in a press release. “We already work closely with athletic commissions to protect our athletes and now we’re taking it one step further. We’re going to test any potential UFC or Strikeforce fighter before finalizing their contract. This shows that we don’t want performance-enhancing drugs in our sport.”
