Zuffa fires Strikeforce star after Twitter blast against Lundvall, steroid penalty

When he appeared before the Nevada Athletic Commission after failing a steroid test, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal hoped to get a lenient punishment by explaining what led to his transgression.

Instead, Lawal is no longer employed by Strikeforce following a series of events that culminated in the former champion apologizing to commissioner Pat Lundvall.

The saga began when Lawal tested positive for the steroid drostanolone following a Jan. 7 victory over Lorenz Larkin at the Hard Rock Hotel. The light heavyweight blamed an over-the-counter supplement for the result.

Lawal appeared before the commission March 27 and was assessed a nine-month suspension and $39,000 fine, and his win was changed to a "no contest."

But the real drama began after the meeting. Angry about a question posed by Lundvall during the meeting, Lawal took to his Twitter account to express his displeasure, calling the commissioner a "racist bitch."

Lawal, who is black, was particularly upset that Lundvall, an accomplished Las Vegas attorney, asked whether the fighter could comprehend English.

Lawal's tweet read: "I shoulda stayed home! Lol. NSAC had they mind made up b4 we got there! Lol. All the research we did and disclosed to em! They ignored! LOL. I honestly feel like Lundvall was a racist bitch asking me if I can read or speak english. Go on somewhere with that bullshit bitch!!!

"Lundvall….I'm college educated. Get your mind right!"

Despite all of Lawal's "laughing out loud," his bosses at Strikeforce parent company Zuffa LLC were not amused, and the fighter was released from his contract later in the day.

The question that angered Lawal was a procedural query to permit introduction of a document on which the fighter affirmed that he had not used any over-the-counter supplements or prescriptions within two weeks of the fight.

Though Lawal said he still feels disrespected by the questioning from Lundvall, he apologized Friday for his Twitter outburst and handling of the situation in a video interview with CSN Bay Area.

■ DIAZ CASE -- The next NAC meeting is likely to be held during the last week of this month, but it's unclear whether the Nick Diaz case will be on the agenda.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship star faces discipline for a drug test that showed the presence of marijuana metabolites following his loss to Carlos Condit in February.

Diaz and his camp received an amended complaint from the commission Friday, and the case might not be ready to go before the governing body this month.

■ LESSON LEARNED -- UFC president Dana White concurs with Alistair Overeem's assessment that the heavyweight's recent punishment for a misdemeanor battery charge is a learning experience. White said high-profile fighters need to understand dangers that can arise when dealing with the public.

"I don't know enough about the situation; I know a little about it. Of course, the side of the story over here is he was a victim in the whole thing. Which honestly, I do believe. Why would Alistair Overeem want to fight with a girl?" White said. "Some girl went crazy on him and starts hitting him, and what do you do in those type of situations?"

Overeem was sentenced to 50 hours of community service, anger management counseling and a 90-day suspended jail sentence for a New Year's weekend incident outside a Las Vegas nightclub.

Overeem said he now employs security when he goes out. White said he thinks that's a good idea, not only for Overeem but for other popular fighters.

■ TUFF-N-UFF -- Amateur mixed martial arts promotion Tuff-N-Uff returns to the South Point Arena for a card Saturday night. The event, which begins at 7 p.m., includes the semifinals of the organization's 145-pound tournament and several women's bouts.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.