I want to start out by thanking everyone that helped me for this fight. Most people will say don’t fix what’s not broken but I went out and changed up my training for this fight as much as one could do so. I moved away from all of my friends, family and training partners and took a chance that I would click with an entirely new group of partners and coaches. Luckily I had the chance to test the waters on the Ultimate Fighter training with BJ, Rudy, Tony and Regan. I wasn’t going into the situation blind but you never know how things will work out.
Fortunately, things worked out quite well for me. I took Jason out in the first round with a rear naked choke after controlling the fight from start to finish. Jason was a game opponent with an 18-0 record having finished everyone he had faced.
I want to start by thanking everyone back home for all of their help. Joe Pomfret has been there since day one and I wouldn’t be anywhere without him. Its funny because my life was set on a different path since he walked into my high school when I was 17. I can never thank him enough for not only the time he has put into me, but for instilling all the right ideas about training and life. Steve Maze is next on the list for being the guy back home that was there for the last year and half that was always meeting me at the gym regardless of how tired he was or how early it was on a Saturday morning. I know that if I ever need anything I can count on these guys. There have been a lot of others back home that have helped me too. of course all of the guys at Team Aggression in Bridgewater…. guys like Chris, Greg, Brandon, Cushman, Perry, both Conrads, Eddie Bishop and everyone else that I am forgetting.
I brought an absolute army with me to this show because the drive was only a couple hours. Brian Conrad and Chris Palmquist were both a huge help in organizing tickets, buses, hotels and t-shirts for around 150 people. The Team Aggression/Lauzon army was in full effect and I want to thank everyone for coming. Want to thank Adam too for taking care of all the sponsor stuff and organizing the after party. I want to thank Joe Cushman (“the CUSH!”) for dealing with my last minute crap and putting in a 15 hour day to get the shirts done and the sponsor shorts printed.
Heading island side, I want to start off thanking BJ, Rudy, Regan and the rest of the Penn family. The opportunity they have given me is deeply appreciated and I can’t thank them enough. I cannot think of a better place to train or better guys to work out with. I honestly believe BJ is the best fighter in the world and there is no one I would rather take beatings and learn from on a day to day basis. Special thanks to Junior, Tony, Shane, Poai, Ross, Larry, Justin, Butch, Brian, Frank and everyone else that helped me train for this fight. Everyone I met in Hawaii made me feel like family and while it was a big change it went pretty smoothly.
Of course I need to thank my family. I have said for a long time that my dad is my hero and that still holds true. Right before I left for Hawaii he told me he wanted to start training and fight for his 50th birthday in March. Like a lot of people he has gotten into his fair number of fights as a kid but has never really trained. He started taking training right before I left and lost a lot of weight (210 pounds to 170 at 5’11”). A few things have slowed him down since then, but I am sure we will work something out. My mom is next on the list because no matter she is always there to help. I was stressing over petty stuff the day of the fight and she took care of everything and make everything 100 times better without even thinking about it. She’s been there for almost every one of my fights and only at huge shows like the UFC am I unable to pick her voice out of the crowd of people screaming. I gotta thank my brother Dan because he is one of the few guys that I can always count on to push me. No one wants to lose to their brother and it works both ways with us. Dan is there to push me no matter how tired either of us are and no matter how many times we get into all out brawls I know when I need him he will be there. I want to thank my other brother Steve too. Yes, there IS another Lauzon brother that most don’t hear about. Steve doesn’t train or fight so most think its just Dan and I. Steve does his own thing but is always there if I need something. Kid will help you out with anything you need with the same undying conviction that he refuses to compromise or let things slide. He will always keep you honest and tell you what you need to hear.
I have a sister too… and she sucks. No need to thank the sucker for anything. And I guess I should mention my Aunt Marie so she stops asking me to thank her in something. I do thank her for coming this weekend to my fight when I know it wasn’t easy for her to do so.
Thanks to all of my sponsors. Sprawl (http://sprawl.tv) has always been with me since day one and I can’t thank them enough. We ran into some potential last minute issues and Sprawl was there to bail us out. Bullshido (http://bullshido.com) and Deathwish Records (http://deathwishinc.com) were with us again for this fight. Slaying Angels (http://slayingangels.com) is a clothing line my buddy and I started up for fun because we had some designs we liked, so we threw our own logo on my shirt. Peak Pysique (http://BFit2Fight.org), Stars Guards (http://starsguards.com) and Alpha Electronics (http://www.alphaelectronics.com/)were new this time out but we were thankful to have them.