Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal will take on Ryan Bader at Bellator 199.

If there was ever a phrase perfectly suited to describe Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, it’s “pure fighter.”

Lawal (21-6-1 MMA, 10-4 Bellator), who takes on Ryan Bader at Bellator 199 in San Jose, Calif, looks to advance to the second round of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. But even with the old school feel of the tournament format, Lawal yearns for more.

“As far as the name’s, yeah [the tournament feels old school]. As far as the rules, no,” said the 37-year-old Lawal told FanSided MMA. “I wish it was more like pure fighting rules… like stomps, head kicks, all that kind of stuff.”

Lawal championed for a rule set similar to that of the now-defunct Japanese promotion Pride FC (1997-2007), where stomps to the head of a downed opponent were legal, as well as soccer kicks and knees among other quirks.

“You know when people just shoot and play that dumb hand game,” he said, in reference to most modern MMA rulesets which forbid kicks and knees to the head of a downed opponent. “Well in Japan, you play that game, you’re going to sleep.”

“As far as the name’s, yeah the tournament feels old school. As far as the rules, no. I wish it was more like pure fighting rules… like stomps, head kicks, all that kind of stuff.”

As for the task at hand, taking on Bellator and UFC veteran Bader (24-5 MMA, 2-0 Bellator), Lawal believes that his adversary doesn’t want to fight.

“I just don’t see it,” said Lawal. “I don’t feel it, you know, he’s got money now, a family. I just don’t think he wants to do it. That’s all.”

Whether that’s the case or not, Bader and Lawal will come face to face.

And with both men featuring an impressive wrestling background, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the hostilities will flow. Will it be a grappling match? Or will it be a stand-up war?

Lawal doesn’t care.

“My game plan is like this: whatever it takes to win, do it,” he stated, quite simply. “If he wants to stand and bang, we’ll stand and bang. Great. If he wants to wrestle, we can wrestle.”

Even with a worthy opponent like Bader just around the corner, Lawal is aware of what’s to come should he emerge victorious. Due to the bracket format of the heavyweight tournament, the winner will move on to face UFC veteran Matt Mitrione, the largest remaining contestant in the tournament by far.

Contrary to Lawal, who stands at 5-foot-11, 212 pounds, Mitrione is a former defensive tackle for the New York Giants, standing 6-foot-4, 255 pounds. Even Bader, who stands at 6’2,” is expected to weigh upwards of 212 pounds once he moves up to heavyweight for Bellator 199.

Again, Lawal couldn’t care less. In fact, he sees his size as an advantage.

“Speed, man,” said Lawal. “I think speed kills. You see, there’s a difference between power and strength. Strength is slow. In order to have power, you have to add speed to the equation… I got power.”

Although his deficit in height and weight is a fact, that hasn’t stopped the Murfreesboro, Tennessee native in the past. Even as an undersized heavyweight, Lawal boasts a 9-1 record with the big boys.

“You know when people just shoot and play that dumb hand game. Well in Japan, you play that game, you’re going to sleep.”

He holds victories over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (253 pounds), Satoshi Ishii (236.6 pounds) and Cheick Kongo (239 pounds) among others.

The winner of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix will be the new Bellator Heavyweight Champion. Lawal, Bader, Chael Sonnen, who defeated Jackson, Fedor Emelianenko, who defeated Frank Mir, and Mitrione, who defeated Roy Nelson, remain in the bracket. Sonnen is currently slated to take on the legendary Emelianenko.

Bellator 199 will take place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif and will be shown on the Paramount Network. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal Vs. Ryan “Darth” Bader is the main event.