A member of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster since 2006 is moving
on.
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.