Tag: Joe Lauzon

UFC Veteran Joe Lauzon On Limbo Status: ‘I Don’t Exactly Know A Valid Way To Get Out Of The Contract…’
Joe Lauzon recently opened up about the lingering uncertainty surrounding his UFC career.

Lauzon is a name that might not resonate with newer MMA fans, but he was once celebrated as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC lightweight division of his era, holding the third-highest number of post-fight bonuses in the company’s history.

“J-Lau” has been absent from the Octagon since delivering a first-round TKO victory over Jonathan Pearce in October 2019, a win that ended his three-fight losing streak. In August 2023, Lauzon lobbied for a spot at UFC 292 in Boston, but the promotion declined, signaling that his services were no longer required. Even UFC CEO Dana White publicly urged him to hang up his gloves for good.

The 40-year-old Massachusetts native has considered himself semi-retired during his five-year hiatus, admitting that he’d only return to active competition if a truly compelling matchup came his way. However, with no such opportunity on the horizon, Lauzon now finds himself at a crossroads…

Lauzon Still Training While Not Actively Seeking A Fight

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Lauzon opened up about his time away from the Octagon. The seasoned UFC lightweight admitted he’s unsure about the future of his career, yet he remains committed to training regularly despite not actively pursuing any fight opportunities.

“I’ve been focused more on my gym than I have on training,” Lauzon said. “Everyone’s always asking, like, ‘Oh, are you going to fight again? Are you not going to fight again?’ and my answer is always kind of ambiguous—I don’t really know. I wanted to fight Chase Hooper last summer when they were going to come to Boston, but that didn’t work out; they didn’t want to do that. So, I don’t know. If they came to me with a fight and a matchup that I liked… I’m still training all the time, but I’m not pressing the issue.”

“J-Lau” also revealed that, despite his inactivity, he’s still under contract with the UFC. However, he admitted that he’s unclear on how to exit the agreement, especially since he’s not actively pursuing a fight.

“I don’t exactly know a valid way to get out of the contract—not that I’m trying to—but I think that there’s a bunch of reasons it can kind of freeze or get prolonged, right? So I think it’s if you turn down a fight, if you are injured, or if you retire—you know, those things all prolong and extend it, right? So, from my perspective, I’m not really trying to fight anywhere else, so I don’t really care. I’m still in the USADA pool, which is not even annoying, but a little bit annoying.”

“I still have USADA—or not USADA, but Drug Free Sport—show up, and they test me every once in a while. But otherwise, I mean, I think it’s just extended perpetually, like until whenever. I’m in a weird spot where I don’t really care about actively fighting.

Lauzon stands as the longest-serving fighter on the current UFC roster. Since his promotional debut at UFC 63 back in 2006, he has stepped into the Octagon 27 times.

“J-Lau” has faced numerous hurdles in securing fights over the years. He was set to clash with Donald Cerrone on three separate occasions, but the bout was postponed once and canceled twice, all before “Cowboy” eventually called it a career.
- Read More: Jon Anik Names Perfect Final Opponent For Tony Ferguson After He Half-Retires At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: ‘That Fight Makes Some Sense’
September 2, 2024
Jon Anik Names Perfect Final Opponent For Tony Ferguson After He Half-Retires At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: ‘That Fight Makes Some Sense’

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but Tony Ferguson has now lost eight fights in a row. Justin Gaethje broke his iconic 12-fight win streak in the UFC lightweight division and most recently, he lost to Michael Chiesa via submission at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Ferguson was naturally overwhelmed by the loss but he didn’t lay down both his gloves in the Octagon. He was unsure about retirement and kept a glove just in case an exciting fight opportunity emerges.

If he returns to the Octagon for one last ride, Jon Anik has the perfect opponent for Ferguson…

Jon Anik Expects Tony Ferguson To Find Success Against Fellow UFC Lightweight Veteran Joe Lauzon

Anik recently appeared on Submission Radio on YouTube and talked about Ferguson’s career as of late. He credited “El Cucuy” for making a double-digit win streak in a competitive division like lightweight, and admitted how the eight losses on this record baffle him.

“The rainbow-colored nature of Tony Ferguson’s Wikipedia page, bro. I mean, it is indeed crazy to see 12 green stripes followed by eight red stripes.”

Anik wants to see Ferguson in the UFC Hall of Fame as soon as possible. He isn’t keen on seeing the veteran fight again but suggested that Joe Lauzon could be a viable option for his upcoming and most likely, final, bout.

“I was googling Joe Lauzon to make sure that he never fought Tony Ferguson because as I sit here and think about opponents that might make sense for Tony to try to realize some sort of success. Joe Lauzon still has fights left on his contract and for whatever reason, hasn’t competed, but I think that fight makes some sense”

Lauzon made his debut in the UFC in 2006 and is a veteran with over 25 fights under his belt. He holds wins over Jens Pulver, Jeremy Stephens, Chiesa, and Diego Sanchez, among other notable lightweight fighters.

The UFC commentator highlighted that Lauzon still has fights on his UFC contract. However, he hasn’t fought for the promotion since October 2019 so it’s hard to anticipate whether he would return for a bout with Ferguson.

READ MORE: Tom Aspinall Questions UFC’s ‘Unfair’ Decision Not To Renew Muhammad Mokaev’s Contract

August 5, 2024
Jim Miller Intrigued By Idea Of Main Event Fight Vs. Joe Lauzon

UFC veteran Jim Miller wouldn’t mind running it back one more time with Joe Lauzon before their careers come to a close.

Miller earned a dominant win over Nikolas Motta at UFC Vegas 48 via second-round TKO. The victory put him in a tie with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone for most UFC wins by a single fighter.

Miller has now won back-to-back fights after 14 years in the Octagon, dating back to his debut win against David Baron at UFC 89. Leading up to UFC Vegas 48, he dismantled an up-and-coming Erick Gonzalez with a brutal knockout last October.

Miller and Lauzon are two of the most veteran fighters in the promotion and have gone to battle twice before. Both men are arguably in the twilight of their careers and their days in the cage may be numbered.

Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon II, Image Credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

During his UFC Vegas 48 post-fight press conference, Miller named Lauzon as a possible next opponent and likes the idea of their trilogy taking place in a main event.

“No—I mean, you’ve got Lauzon and Cerrone fighting again, and I don’t know what the plans are after that,” Miller said. “I mean, they’re both guys I’ve shared time in the Octagon with, and it’s like, ‘hey, I’ve got two against Joe, and do you go and do it again?’ Fuck yeah, we’ll do it again. I love that guy. If we could sell it, and main event a small card or something like that—because we’re two old guys that have been around for a while— then let’s do it and get the main event bonus. And a guy like Cerrone, another one, I’ve got a ton of respect for him, and if he wants to do it, let’s do it.”

Miller and Lauzon last fought against one another at a UFC Fight Night event in 2016, with Miller earning a controversial split decision win. It was a close fight that divided fans as to who came out as the victor.

Their first fight took place at UFC 155 with Miller earning a unanimous decision win.

Lauzon is slated to face Cerrone at UFC 274 later this year. It’s unclear what the interest would be from Lauzon regarding a trilogy with Miller, but it could help bring clarity to the matchup of two of the most seasoned athletes in UFC history.

Who do you want Jim Miller to face next?

February 20, 2022
Donald Cerrone Returns April 30 To Meet Fellow UFC Vet Joe Lauzon
After speculation about his fighting future circulated last year, the Cowboy will ride again when Donald Cerrone meets Joe Lauzon at a UFC Fight Night event on April 30.

Following his TKO loss to Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson last May, many fans were wondering if Cerrone had fought in the Octagon for the last time. After all, that now made him winless in his last six fights, with four of those bouts ending via TKO.

UFC President Dana White addressed Cerrone’s future last year, indicating that he would allow Cowboy to move back down to lightweight for another fight but that a loss would mean the end of his legendary run in the UFC. We now know that this crucial bout will be against Joe Lauzon on April 30 based on a report Friday from MMA Junkie.

Like Cerrone, Joe Lauzon has also been competing in the UFC for over a decade. Making his Octagon debut in 2006, Lauzon has gone 15-12 during this run, with Fight of the Night performances against standouts like Jim Miller (twice), Michael Chiesa, and Kenny Florian. He also won a Performance of the Night over Diego Sanchez at the historic UFC 200 event in 2016.

Donald Cerrone’s most recent victory came against Al Iaquinta in 2019. The last time he won Performance of the Night was with his sick armbar victory over Mike Perry in November 2018.

Image Credit: MMA Fighting

With this bout set, the updated lineup for the April 30 Fight Night card is as follows:
- Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon
- Cortney Casey vs. Antonina Shevchenko
- Gina Mazany vs. Shanna Young
- Francisco Figueiredo vs. Daniel da Silva
- Mike Breeden vs. Natan Levy
What is your prediction for this fight between UFC veterans Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon on April 30?
January 29, 2022