Strikeforce's Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal Says Over The Counter Supplement Caused Steroid Test Failure

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, who failed a post-fight drug test after beating Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, was a guest on today's MMA Hour and told Ariel Helwani that he had taken an over-the-counter supplement.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced on January 17th that Lawal tested positive for Drostanolone after the Larkin bout. Lawal faces a suspension of up to one year and a fine.

Lawal told Helwani he purchased a supplment called S-Mass "Lean Gainer" at Muscle Max. Ben Fowlkes has more at MMA Fighting:

The guilty party, according to Kogan and Lawal, is a supplement called S-Mass Lean Gainer by Rock Solid, which Lawal said he bought at a Max Muscle store in California and used only sporadically for "rehab stuff," the fighter explained. It was recommended to him by a Max Muscle employee some time in April of 2010, he said, though it's since been removed from the market, according to Kogan, who admitted he had no knowledge that Lawal was taking any supplements at all prior to his positive drug screening.

"To the best of my research, this product was taken off the shelves some time in mid-2011, for exactly the same reason that we're facing right now. Its primary and only relevant ingredient of that particular product is a substance known as Methyldrostanolone, which is basically just a pill format of Drostanolone," Kogan said.

...

"For me, the best way to get an advantage over your opponent is through hard work, preparation, and your skills," Lawal said. "That's the best way to get an advantage over anybody. Game-planning. That's the best way to beat your opponent."

Here's the description of that product:

S-Mass is the most powerful designer anabolic ever created and is probably the least expensive on the market. S-Mass represents a quality designer anabolic and an affordable price. S-Mass was designed to produce lean hard bodies. If you want t he lean hard look S-Mass is the product for you.

Lawal's manager Mike Kogan Tweeted after the show:

@Mike Kogan: not blaming just pointing out their lack of responsibility, accountability and malicious and intentional misguidence of consumers

@Mike Kogan: just pointing out the uphill battle that any athlete faces. They rename, relabel and hide shit on purpose to turn $ someone needs to start paying attention to it