Age: 24
Born: May 22, 1984 in Brockton, Massachusetts
Hometown:  East Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Pro Record:  18-4 (5 (T)KOs, 13 Submissions) 
Former WFL Grand Prix & Mass Destruction Lightweight Champion
Star of The Ultimate Fighter 5

In a relatively short period, 24-year-old Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon has gone from computer geek to starring on The Ultimate Fighter 5 television reality show, upsetting a former world mixed-martial-arts champ, and then headlining UFC Fight Night 13.

Not too shabby for the nerd-looking but fearless fighting lightweight contender who has a Bachelor’s degree in computer networking from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Two years ago, he was fighting part-time and working full-time at Charles River Analytics in Cambridge (MA), where he was responsible for maintaining a 130-computer network.

Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, known as the “City of Champions” because Hall of Fame boxers Rocky Marciano and Marvelous Marvin Hagler fought out of there, Lauzon fought on the relatively small New England circuit during the early part of his still young MMA career, earning 2004 Massachusetts Fighter of the Year honors.

In 2006, “J-Lau” won an 8-man tournament by defeating three fighters on one night in the World Fighting League, and he was crowned WFL Grand Prix champion. His impressive showing led to a UFC contract, although he believed that he’d lose his love of fighting if he became a fulltime fighter and it became a job. 

His UFC debut was against former world light weight champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (21-7-1), who was a solid 7-1 favorite, in UFC 63 (September 23, 2006). Lauzon immediately took Pulver to the mat, but they got up and Joe rocked Pulver with a right knee, leading to a devastating left hook that dropped Pulver. A barrage followed and the referee halted the fight at 43 seconds of the opening round, marking Pulver’s first UFC loss in eight fights.

“Going into the fight with Jens,” Lauzon reflected, “I had all the upper tier fighters on his plateau and I thought that I was far off. Getting a big win like that let me know that I could compete at that level.” 

Lauzon’s impressive performance led to him being cast on The Ultimate Fighter 5, where Joe met his new mentor and training partner, UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn, who was his coach on the television series. Joe won his first two fights in the series against a team coached, ironically, by Pulver, but Joe lost a decision to Manvel Gamburyan in the semifinals. In the finale, however, “J-Lau” beat Brandon Melendez by submission (triangle choke) at 2:09 of the second round.

“The Ultimate Fighter was great for me because it put me on television in front of everyone,” Joe noted. “On the local level, MMA shows are filled by fighters selling tickets to their friends. The UFC has expanded that model by letting the world get to know fighters. You could fight a dozen times and still not have the same connection with people as you do when they see how you live for a month and a half.

After The Ultimate Fighter 5, Lauzon finally left his job at Charles River Analytics to become a fulltime MMA fighter, and took Penn up on his offer to train him, moving to Hawaii where one of his training partners was WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

“Training with BJ was the best,” Lauzon remarked. “You always try to have a worst case scenario opponent in mind while training and BJ is just that” world-class Jiu-Jitsu, great striking with heavy ands and a solid chin, as well as crazy flexibility and takedown defense. All of that is hard to come by in one person, but BJ brings it all, the complete package. I am fortunate enough to have worked with BJ and I realize how much further I can improve. I am back training in Bridgewater at my school for this fight, but I’m sure I will be training with BJ again in the future.” 

In November of 2007, Joe defeated Jason Reinhardt by submission (rear naked choke) in the first round at UFC 78: Validation, setting up an All-Massachusetts showdown against Kenny Florian in the main event on UFC Fight Night 13 in Denver on April 2. The older, more experienced Florian registered a win by second-round TKO. “I learned from that fight that I need to pace myself better and not think that I have to go all out from bell to bell,” Joe commented. “It was real tough in Colorado with the elevation. I tried to prepare for it but I didn’t do enough. It was a costly lesson but one that I will never make again.” 

In his last fight (September 17, 2008), Joe demonstrated his improved boxing skills September 17 en route to stopping Kyle Bradley (13-6) at 1:34 of the second round on UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Lauzon, representing Lauzon MMA, has moved back to Massachusetts and is living again in the town he grew-up in, East Bridgewater. Given his youth and talent, along with Penn possibly moving up to the welterweight division, “J-Lau” hopes to soon be ranked in the UFC’s top 10 and eventually position himself for a UFC lightweight title shot.

Lauzon went on a 12-day goodwill trip (October, 2008) visiting U.S. military troops in Iraq and Kuwait. “It was awesome,” Lauzon said from home. “It was one of the happiest 12 days of my life. They kept us real busy going from one camp to another. We visited 14 camps in Iraq and Kuwait. The first hour we’d give demonstrations and the second we signed autographs and posed for pictures with them. I was thrilled to see all of them over there, away from their friends and family, but helping all of us back home. It was cool to see how excited and appreciative they were to see us. There are a lot of MMA fans over there, too. They watch UFC events on the Armed Forces Network, but, due to the time differences, it’s on there at 3 in the morning. They watch and then start their day at 6. It was a long, busy 12 days, but I’d definitely do it again. It’s something that I’ll never forget. I’m glad I did it.”

Back in the main event on Spike TV in his last action (February 7, 2009), Lauzon scored an impressive win against Jeremy Stephens (14-4, 10 KOs, 2 submissions), who was a late replacement for injured Hermes Franca (20-7). After suffering a 7-inch cut on his hairline from an elbow, Lauzon used a “fireman’s carry” to take power striker Stephens to the mat, where Joe mounted Jeremy and locked in a submission by arm-bar at 4:43 into the second round. Lauzon earned “Submission of the Night” honors.

“The flying heel hook is a move MMA people don’t see a lot,” Lauzon described his somewhat unconventional leg-lock. “I did it 4-5 months ago and decided to do it again. This was a good fight for me to showcase what I like to do in a UFC main event on Spike. I knew he (Stephens) was dangerous on his feet but not on the ground. My corner was upset with me at one point for getting caught with a few punches, but it wasn’t as bad as it looked, and I wasn’t hurt at all. Some thought I rushed for a submission after I got cut, but I stayed calm and I heard somebody in my corner yelling 45-seconds. I knew I had time for a submission, if I picked up the pace, and I did. He’s a tough, stocky kid.”

The UFC lightweight division, from top to bottom, is loaded. Lauzon finds himself on the verge of cracking into a spot among the UFC’s elite 155-pounders, chasing champion (and his former coach) B. J. Penn, former title-holder Sean Sherk and a rematch with Kenny Florian among the more notables. “I think the lightweight division, by far, is the toughest and deepest, talent-wise,” Lauzon commented. “A lot of those top guys are a solid 170-180 pounds, walking around, and lose weight to fight at 155. Someday I’d like a rematch with Kenny Florian, of course, and I want to fight Hermes, especially after all the trash he talked after pulling out of our fight. But he’s going to be out of action for a while with a torn ACL (knee injury). Next, I’d like somebody like Clay Guida (26-6), who just won a big fight against Nate Diaz (decision).”

Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon is promoted by the UFC, managed by Dean Albrecht, and trained by Joe Pomfret.