Outside Source
Joining the UFC in 2006 at UFC 63, Joe Lauzon (28-15) debuted against Jens Pulver and put him away in 48 seconds. Rather than advance in the unstable lightweight division—the weight class would not have a stable title picture until B.J. Penn claimed the throne from Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 in 2008—Lauzon elected to join the massively popular reality series of “The Ultimate Fighter.” “J-Lau” competed in its fifth season, picked up by Team Penn against Team Pulver, coached by a man he knocked out not long before.
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While he never managed to vie for a lightweight championship, Lauzon kept himself in the contendership picture as an all-action figure that could all-but guarantee post-fight bonus money. The Massachusetts native amassed a whopping 15 bonus checks over the years, including a double-bonus performance when he tapped Jamie Varner in 2012 to earn both “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night.” On the heels of a three-fight losing streak built in 2017 and 2018, Lauzon broke out of that slump by acing Jonathan Pearce in 93 seconds in front of a home crowd.
Time to say goodbye…?
The 42-year-old from Brockton, Massachusetts, and former IT professional was matched against Donald Cerrone in 2022 in what could have been a double retirement bout, but an illness to Cerrone and knee injury to Lauzon scuttled their booking and rebooking. Lauzon claimed that he was comfortable going off into the sunset following his knockout of “JSP,” but that the “right fight” could drag him off the couch again. He remained in the drug testing pool in case he wanted to come back, but that opportunity never came.
Whether due to the contract lapsing or because he sought his actual release, Lauzon is no longer a member of the UFC. Per the organization on Friday, Lauzon has signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and he is expected to appear at BKFC 92 at Fenway Park in Boston on Aug. 29. The main attraction of that show will put the featherweight belt on the line as Kai Stewart defends against local athlete Harry Gigliotti.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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