Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. (born May 22, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist, competing in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division. A well-rounded fighter, he has the fourth most post-fight bonus awards in UFC history, behind

Donald Cerrone Donald Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American retired mixed martial artist, actor, and former professional kickboxer. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight division for the Ultimat ...

Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira da Silvahttp://boxing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/boxingnvgov/content/results/2014_Results/12-12-14MMA.pdf (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He currently comp ...

and

Nate Diaz Nathan Donald Diaz (born April 16, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist who is currently a free agent. Diaz is most known for his time spent fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought for over 15 year ...

. Joe's younger brother,

Dan Lauzon Daniel James Lauzon (born March 30, 1988) is a former American mixed martial artist who competed in the World Series of Fighting's Lightweight division, and has also formerly competed in the UFC and Affliction. He is the younger brother of fello ...

, is also a mixed martial artist.

Background

Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. was born on May 22, 1984, in

Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population is 105,643 as of the 2020 United States Census. Along with Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plymouth, it is one of the two county seats of ...

. He lived there until he was in the

third grade Third grade (also called grade three, equivalent to Year 4 in England) is a year of primary education in many countries. It is the third school year of primary school. Students are usually 8–9 years old. Examples of the American syllabus *I ...

, when he moved to East Bridgewater. Lauzon lived on a small farm and enjoyed riding horses. The young Lauzon and his friends had an interest in

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

, and would re-enact moves on Lauzon's

trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame using many coiled spring (device), springs. Not all trampolines have springs, as the Springfree Trampoline uses glass-reinforced plastic rods. ...

. Lauzon did not begin training in the

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

until his junior year at

East Bridgewater High School East Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School is a public secondary school located at 143 Plymouth Street in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States. The school serves students in grades 7–12 and has an approximate enrollment of 1000 students. Th ...

, after seeing a demonstration that piqued his interest. Lauzon graduated from

Wentworth Institute of Technology Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) is a private institute of technology in Boston, Massachusetts. Wentworth was founded in 1904 and offers career-focused education through 21 bachelor's degree programs as well as 13 master's degrees. Histo ...

in 2007 with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

. He worked as a network administrator in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

before he began training in mixed martial arts full-time.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Lauzon's first amateur fight was in 2002. He held a 5–3 record as an amateur. In 2004, Lauzon had his first cage fight, winning with a first round armbar in a local Massachusetts promotion, Mass Destruction. Lauzon then went on an eight fight winning streak with all the fights ended via submission. Lauzon won an eight-man tournament, defeating three fighters in one night in the World Fighting League and was crowned the WFL Grand Prix Champion. Lauzon was also named 2004 Massachusetts fighter of the year by local Massachusetts MMA outlets. Lauzon made his debut in the UFC upsetting former

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in addition to serving as the head coach on ''The Ultimate ...

UFC 63 ''UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn 2'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 23, 2006. The event took place at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California and was broadcast live on pay-per-view (PPV) in ...

on September 23, 2006, winning via KO in 48 seconds and in doing so, beat 7-to-1 odds. He was awarded a ''Knockout of the Night'' award. Lauzon has been sponsored throughout his career by independent record label Massachusetts-based Deathwish Inc.

The Ultimate Fighter

Lauzon was a contestant on ''

The Ultimate Fighter 5 ''The Ultimate Fighter 5'' was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a ...

'', which featured lightweights exclusively. He was on B.J. Penn's team, against a team coached by

. Lauzon defeated Brian Geraghty in the preliminary round. He then defeated

Cole Miller Cole Miller (born April 26, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the featherweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese. Mixed martial arts career Before giving ...

in the quarterfinals. The win was somewhat controversial due to an illegal strike to the back of Miller's head. Miller appeared obviously dazed by the illegal strike and was given time to recover. However, when action was restarted, it was clear that Cole was still feeling the effects of the strike. Lauzon capitalized on it and won the fight. In the semi-finals, Lauzon lost a unanimous decision to

Manvel Gamburyan Manvel Gamburyan ( hy, Մանվել Գամբուրյան; born May 8, 1981) is an Armenian mixed martial artist who has competed in the UFC's lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions. A professional competitor since 1999, he was a c ...

. At the finale, he defeated

Brandon Melendez ''The Ultimate Fighter 5'' was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a ...

via submission (triangle choke) at 2:09 of round two.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC 78 ''UFC 78: Validation'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on November 17, 2007, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. ''Validation'' was the first UFC event held in New Jers ...

Lauzon submitted previously undefeated

Jason Reinhardt Jason Reinhardt (born October 31, 1969) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor from 2000 until 2011, Reinhardt fought in the UFC and King of the Cage. Mixed martial arts career Early career After compiling a 1-0 amate ...

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

in the first round. Lauzon quickly took Reinhardt down before moving to the north-south position. Reinhardt rolled, giving Lauzon his back, and Lauzon quickly sunk in the

for a quick submission victory. On April 2, 2008,

Kenny Florian Kenneth Alan Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011–2018, and he also ...

defeated Lauzon in the main event of

UFC Fight Night 13 ''UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 13'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 2, 2008, at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado, Unite ...

by TKO via strikes from mount in the second round. The first round was back and forth as Florian opened up a cut on Lauzon's head with elbows and took his back while Lauzon landed several takedowns and attempted several submissions. Florian opened the second round with a takedown and soon advanced to mount where he landed multiple unanswered strikes until the fight was waved off. Lauzon defeated Kyle Bradley by technical knockout in round two at UFC Fight Night 15 on September 17, 2008. In the first round Bradley connected with a punch and rocked Lauzon. Lauzon managed to recover and continued to trade with Bradley in a close first round. In the second round Lauzon scored a takedown and transitioned quickly into mount before taking Bradley's back. Lauzon landed several punches from this position until the referee stepped in to save Bradley. Lauzon was scheduled to fight former WEC Lightweight Champion,

Hermes Franca Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators ...

on February 7, 2009, in the main event for

UFC Fight Night 17 ''UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 17'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 7, 2009. Background The main event was originally scheduled to be between ...

. However, Franca pulled out of the event with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Jeremy Stephens stepped in as a late replacement. Lauzon defeated Stephens by armbar in the second round, which earned him a ''Submission of the Night'' bonus award. Lauzon fought

Sam Stout Samuel James Stout (born April 23, 1984) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2015, Stout is best known for his 20-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), winning ''Fight of the ...

on January 2, 2010, at

UFC 108 ''UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 2, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Background The card for UFC 108 was plagued with numerous injuries ...

and lost in a very entertaining fight by decision, which also won ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Lauzon was expected to face

Terry Etim Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...

on August 28, 2010, at

UFC 118 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, but Etim had to withdraw from the bout due to injury. Lauzon was instead set to fight fellow Ultimate Fighter season 5 castmate

Gabe Ruediger Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger (born August 29, 1977) is a former American mixed martial artist, who competed in the Lightweight division for the UFC, WEC and Tachi Palace Fights. He is a former WEC Lightweight Champion, and former TPF Lightweigh ...

. During the UFC 118 weigh-ins Ruediger brought Lauzon a cake that read "Sorry for your loss". Lauzon defeated Ruediger, who is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, via armbar in 2:01 of round one having completely dominated him for the entire fight. The submission earned him a ''Submission of the Night'' award. According to commentator

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly ...

, Gabe "was never in it for a second." Lauzon faced

George Sotiropoulos George Sotiropoulos (born 9 July 1977) is an Australian born retired mixed martial artist of Greek descent who previously fought in the UFC in their Lightweight division. He is well known for appearing as a fighter on the TV show '' The Ultimat ...

on November 20, 2010, at

UFC 123 ''UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 20, 2010 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the first UFC event in the Metro Detroit area since ...

. The fight began with an action-packed first round, that saw Lauzon set the pace. However, by the end of the round, Lauzon began to tire and saw Sotiropoulos began to gain momentum. The second round saw a fatigued and passive Joe Lauzon. After a scramble, Sotiropoulous ended up on top position and torqued a kimura to force the tap-out. Both fighters earned a ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Lauzon faced

Curt Warburton Curt Warburton (born 1981) is an English mixed martial artist from Coundon, County Durham. He formerly trained at Wolfslair MMA Academy in Liverpool, England. Mixed martial arts career Early career Warburton's most notable achievement in the do ...

on June 26 at

UFC on Versus 4 ''UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry'' (also known as ''UFC on Versus 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 26, 2011, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event was broadcast on Versus ...

. Lauzon defeated Warburton via first round kimura, which earned him a ''Submission of the Night'' bonus award. Lauzon was briefly linked to a bout with

on November 19, 2011 at

UFC 138 ''UFC 138: Leben vs. Muñoz'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 5, 2011 at LG Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the United S ...

. However, Oliveira instead faced

on August 14, 2011 at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle, replacing an injured Paul Taylor. Lauzon defeated

Melvin Guillard Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA a ...

on October 8, 2011 by rear-naked choke at

UFC 136 ''UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two-day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R. Brown ...

, earning his fourth ''Submission of the Night'' honor and sixth straight UFC Bonus award. Lauzon faced

Anthony Pettis Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of th ...

on February 26, 2012 at

UFC 144 ''UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Venue UFC 144 was held at the Saitama Super Arena in the ...

He lost the fight by KO due to a head kick in 91 seconds. Lauzon was again expected to face

on August 4, 2012 at

UFC on Fox 4 ''UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 4, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background Chad Griggs was expected to fa ...

. However, Etim was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by

Jamie Varner Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right. People Female * Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress * Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and t ...

. In a back-and-forth fight that saw both men rocked, Lauzon secured the victory after locking in a triangle choke on Varner at 2:44 of the third round. His performance earned him the ''Fight of the Night'' and ''Submission of the Night'' honors and a ''Fight of the Year'' nomination at the World MMA Awards. Lauzon was expected to face

Gray Maynard Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with former UFC Lightweight ...

on December 29, 2012 at

UFC 155 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, Maynard pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury and was replaced by Jim Miller. Miller defeated Lauzon via unanimous decision. The back and forth action earned both participants ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Lauzon faced Michael Johnson on August 17, 2013 at

UFC Fight Night 26 ''UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 26'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 17, 2013, at the TD Garden in Boston. Background The event was the first UFC event broadcast on Fox Sports 1. The main e ...

. He was defeated by unanimous decision, after being outmatched by Johnson. Lauzon faced

Mac Danzig Mac Danzig (born January 2, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist, who competed as a lightweight in several MMA promotions, most notably the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season six. Background Da ...

on December 14, 2013 at

UFC on Fox 9 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Lauzon faced

Michael Chiesa Michael Keith Chiesa (; born December 7, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and sports analyst who currently competes in the welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor sin ...

on September 5, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 50 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. After a back and forth fight, Lauzon defeated Chiesa via TKO in the second round after opening a significant cut above Chiesa's right eye, forcing a doctor's stoppage. The performance earned both participants ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Lauzon was expected to face Diego Sanchez on November 15, 2014 at

UFC 180 ''UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt'' was a mixed martial arts event held on November 15, 2014, at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City, Mexico. Background The event was the first the organization hosted in Mexico and was so popular that all 21,000 tic ...

, replacing an injured

Norman Parke Norman Parke (born 22 December 1986) is a Northern Irish mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Parke has fought for the UFC, Absolute Championship Berkut, KSW, and BAMMA. He was also a competitor for Team UK on The U ...

. However, on October 23, it was announced that injuries to both Sanchez and Lauzon led to the pairing being scrapped altogether. Lauzon next faced Al Iaquinta on January 31, 2015 at

UFC 183 ''UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts event held on January 31, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between former UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silv ...

. Lauzon lost the fight via TKO in the second round. As the first bout of his new eight-fight contract, Lauzon faced

Takanori Gomi is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who gained international fame in Pride Fighting Championships. Later in his career, Gomi also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is the only Pride FC Lightweight Champion in th ...

on July 25, 2015 at

UFC on Fox 16 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. After successfully taking Gomi down, he won the fight via TKO in the first round. Lauzon faced

Evan Dunham Evan Neil Dunham (born December 18, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist competing in the lightweight division. He is perhaps best known for 21-fight tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship which spanned over a decade. Bac ...

on December 11, 2015 at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Lauzon faced Diego Sanchez on July 9, 2016 at

UFC 200 ''UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 9, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was the final UFC event under the ownership of ...

. He won the fight via TKO in the first round, becoming the first man to finish Sanchez by strikes. The win earned him his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. After sustaining virtually no damage during his previous fight, Lauzon was quickly rescheduled to rematch Jim Miller on August 27, 2016 at

UFC on Fox 21 ''UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 21'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on August 27, 2016, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background This was ...

. Lauzon lost the rematch by split decision. Both participants were awarded a ''Fight of the Night'' bonus. Lauzon next faced

Marcin Held Marcin Held (born January 18, 1992) is a Polish mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. He formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Absolute Championship Berkut, Professional Fighters League, a ...

on January 15, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 103 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He was awarded a controversial split decision victory, even stating he felt he lost the bout post-fight. Likewise, 16 out of 17 media pundits scored the bout for Held; the lone holdout scored the fight a draw. Lauzon next faced

Stevie Ray Lash Steven Huffman (born August 22, 1958) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Stevie Ray. Stevie Ray is best known for his seven-year tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1993 to 200 ...

on April 22, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 108 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 108'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 22, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Background A feathe ...

. Lauzon lost the bout by a majority decision. Lauzon faced

Clay Guida Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently signed to the UFC competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforc ...

on November 11, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 120 ''UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 120'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 11, 2017, at Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Back ...

. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. As the first bout of his new four-fight contract, Lauzon faced

Chris Gruetzemacher Christopher William Gruetzemacher (born June 16, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2008, he has also competed for ...

on April 7, 2018 at

UFC 223 ''UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship bout between i ...

. He lost this fight after his corner stopped the fight after the second round. After an 18 month hiatus, Lauzon faced Jonathan Pearce on October 18, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN 6 ''UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 6'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 18, 2019 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Background A light ...

. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one. After another 31 month hiatus, Lauzon was scheduled to face

on April 30, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 208 ''UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 208'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 66'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 23, 2022, at The O2 Arena in Lon ...

. The bout was moved to May 7, 2022 at

UFC 274 ''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The event was originally linke ...

for undisclosed reasons. Despite both competitors weighing in, the bout was cancelled the day of the event due to Cerrone falling ill. The pair was rescheduled to meet at

UFC on ESPN 37 ''UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 37'' and ''UFC Austin'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 18, 2022 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, United ...

on June 18, 2022. The bout was yet again scrapped the day of this event due to Lauzon suffering from leg cramping.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Fight of the Night Honors (seven times) vs.

, Jim Miller (2), &

** Knockout of the Night Honors (one time) vs.

** Submission of the Night Honors (six times) vs. Brandon Melendez, Jeremy Stephens,

, &

** Performance of the Night Honors (one time) vs. Diego Sanchez **Fourth most post-fight bonus awards in UFC history (15) **Most Submission of the Night Honors in UFC history (six) **Fight of the Year (2012) vs. Jim Miller **Tied (

) for second most finishes in UFC Lightweight division history (13) *United States Kickboxing Association **USKBA U.S. Super Welterweight Championship (one time) *World Fighting League **WFL Grand Prix Champion *

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

**2012 Fight of the Year (vs.

) *Massachusetts MMA outlets **2004 Massachusetts Fighter of the Year Honors

Personal life

Lauzon is married to Katie, and they have two sons, Joey (born 2014) and Jacob (born 2017). Joey was diagnosed with stage 4S

neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands but can also develop in the neck, chest, abdomen, or spine. Symptoms may include bone pain, a lump in the ...

a week after he was born, and was finally cleared as cancer free in early 2019. Lauzon's moniker, 'J-Lau', was given by friends who he trained with when he was in high school. Lauzon did not fancy his nickname, as it is referenced to

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

, and would prefer his nickname to be 'Baby Joe' instead:

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 28–15 , Jonathan Pearce , TKO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:33 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–15 ,

, TKO (corner stoppage) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–14 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 ,

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–13 ,

, Decision (majority) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–12 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–12 , Jim Miller , Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 26–11 , Diego Sanchez , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:26 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–11 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–10 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barão 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–10 , Al Iaquinta , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:34 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–9 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Mousasi , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:14 ,

Mashantucket, Connecticut Mashantucket is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northeast part of the town of Ledyard, New London County, Connecticut, United States. It consists of land held by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The Foxwoods Resort Casino Foxwoods Resort ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–9 , Michael Johnson , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–8 , Jim Miller , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–7 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:44 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–7 ,

, KO (head kick and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:21 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 21–6 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–6 ,

, Submission (kimura) , UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:58 ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–6 ,

, Submission (kimura) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:43 ,

Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city in 1983, the area was part of the now-defunct Pontiac Township. It is home to Oakland University ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–5 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 , Jeremy Stephens , Submission (armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:43 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Kyle Bradley , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:34 ,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:28 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a consolidated city and county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. Broomfield has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The Broomfield populatio ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Brandon Melendez ''The Ultimate Fighter 5'' was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a ...

, Submission (triangle choke) ,

The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter 5'' was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:48 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Douglas Brown , Submission (armbar) , rowspan=3, WFL 6: Real: No Fooling Around , rowspan=3, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:47 , rowspan=3,

Revere, Massachusetts Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately from Downtown Crossing, downtown Boston. Founded as North Chelsea in 1846, it was renamed in 1871 after the American Revolutionary War Patriot (American Re ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Zane Baker , KO (slam) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Adam Comfort , Submission (achilles lock) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:44 , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 ,

Raphael Assunção Raphael Oliveira Assunção (born 19 July 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Born in Recife in Northeast Brazil, Assunção moved to Unite ...

, Submission (armbar) , Absolute Fighting Championships 15 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:37 ,

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Antoine Skinner , Submission (triangle choke) , CZ 12: Night of Champions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 ,

Ivan Menjivar Ivan Menjivar (born May 30, 1982) is a Salvadorian-Canadian mixed martial artist who formerly fought in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Menjivar was born in La Paz, El Salvador, in 1982. Fleeing t ...

, Submission (calf slicer) , APEX: Undisputed , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 ,

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Tim Honeycutt , TKO (punches) , Absolute Fighting Championships 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:11 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–1 ,

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...

, TKO (punches) , Absolute Fighting Championships 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:57 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Joe Ahlert , Submission (guillotine choke) , Mass Destruction 19 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:47 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Ryan Ciotoli , Technical Submission (armbar) , CZ 9: Hot Like Fire , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:34 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Mike Brown , Submission (rear-naked choke) , CZ 8: Street Justice , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:14 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Justin Blasich , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Mass Destruction 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Renat Myzabekov , Submission (toe hold) , CZ 7: Gravel Pit , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:40 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Kyle Sprouse , Submission (heel hook) , CZ 6: Rampage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:26 ,

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jerry Mosquea , TKO (punches) , MMA: Eruption , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , David Gilrein , Submission (armbar) , Mass Destruction 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:42 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , -

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=3,

, (air date) , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , rowspan=3,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , (air date) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:58 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Brian Geraghty , Submission (rear-naked choke) , (air date) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:13 ,

References

External links

Official site
*
Official UFC Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lauzon, Joe American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Massachusetts Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people 1984 births Sportspeople from Brockton, Massachusetts People from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts Wentworth Institute of Technology alumni American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Sportspeople from Plymouth County, Massachusetts