After undergoing a seventh procedure on Sunday to remove infectious matter from his recently repaired knee, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is biding his time.
Antibiotics that had to be administered 24 hours a day via a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line have been switched to another type that are administered twice a day.
Lawal hopes the new treatment will kill the staph infection that nearly cost him his leg following ACL surgery this past month. In the meantime, he's hooked up to two machines that drain excess blood and pus.
"I'm just trying to stay positive and hoping this medicine works," he told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com). "If this medicine works, I can't wait to get back in the cage."
Lawal (9-1 MMA, 4-1 SF) tore his ACL a third time prior to a fight with Lorenz Larkin (12-1 MMA, 3-1 SF) this past month at "Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine," and he underwent corrective surgery four days later. Since then, he has had his knee treated multiple times for an infection that spread after the procedure and spent 12 days in the hospital.
Yet another checkup is scheduled for tomorrow to make sure the infection is dying down.
The grappling involved in MMA makes staph infections common among fighters. Staphylococcus and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are two that can be life-threatening if not treated properly. Symptoms include abscesses and boils on the surface of the skin and, in the case of MRSA, bacteria that literally eats away the skin.
A decorated amateur wrestler, Lawal has battled staph infections on his face and elbow in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
"I naturally have a low white-blood-cell count, which most black athletes do, and I guess that with the anesthesia made my system worse," he said. "They say anesthesiology helps cause infection because it lowers your white-blood-cell count and your immune system."
Lawal's first bill for the surgery and its aftermath totaled $96,000. However, his share was only $1,400 because of a previously existing health plan. Additionally, a sponsor, MMA Elite, has gone above its financial obligations by supporting him during his layoff.
"I've got it taken care of," he said. "People make it seem like I've got $100,000 in debt, but it's not true. I made sure I had a plan going into this thing."
The former Strikeforce champ was paid $95,000 for his victory over Larkin, which included a $15,000 win bonus. However, he could face fines and/or suspension as the result of a positive post-fight drug test following the January event.
Prior to the fight, Lawal had his knee drained multiple times prior to the fight and took an over-the-counter testosterone supplement he had previously taken to combat instability in the joint. As it turned out, that supplement may have also caused him to test positive for the steroid Drostanolone. The Nevada State Athletic Commission, which oversaw the Strikeforce event, filed a disciplinary complaint against the fighter this past month, and he is likely to appear before the commission in March after sending a letter to the Nevada Attorney General's Office disclosing a list of supplements he took and a statement on the possible cause of the failed test.
Lawal steadfastly denies using performance-enhancing drugs and notes he never tested positive for drugs during his amateur wrestling career, in which he faced a litany of tests. But before he makes his voice heard before the commission, he'd like to be healthy, and that depends on the success of his treatment.
"Man, it's irritating," he said. "The thing is, I'm right there. My ACL is good, but (with) this bacteria, I can't do anything now. It's on my doctor. I'm hoping that his gameplan will work."
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