Joe Lauzon Considering Move to Hawaii
The Ultimate Fighter 5 semifinalist Joe Lauzon is eying a new place to call home, at least temporarily, according to The Patriot Ledger. Lauzon will likely be moving from Massachusets to Hawaii this fall or early next year.
Many may be wondering why Lauzon would consider changing anything in his MMA routine after his recent string of success. Boasting a 15-3 MMA record Lauzon debuted in the UFC last year as a major underdog against Jens Pulver but defeated the favorite just 48 seconds into the first round via TKO. He continued to impress in his next UFC fight, defeating Brandon Melendez last month on The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale with an impressive second round submission.
The reason Lauzon will be moving to the Aloha State is not a why but a who. His name? B.J. Penn.
Penn, who served as Lauzon’s coach on The Ultimate Fighter 5, is one of the UFC’s top lightweight fighters and a very skilled mixed martial artist. Penn came up short in three previous title fights failing to defeat Jens Pulver for the lightweight title and Matt Hughes for the welterweight championship. He fought to a draw against Caol Uno and the lightweight title was not awarded. He did successfully win the UFC welterweight championship in 2004 but left the organization before his first title defense and was stripped of the title.
Penn returned to the UFC last year and lost to both Georges St. Pierre and Hughes in welterweight bouts before he became a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 5 and dropped to 155 pounds to face fellow coach Jens Pulver on the finale of the show. Penn went on to win the fight with a rear naked choke in round number two. The fight earned “The Prodigy” a title shot this November against current lightweight champion Sean Sherk.
According to the report Penn urged Lauzon to move to the state to train with him and it appears Lauzon has taken Penn up on the offer. Lauzon said he still intends to visit Penn’s facility next month with the intention of moving to the island state to train for a year or two. Lauzon has completed just one fight on his nine-fight UFC contract and is rumored to be facing Spencer Fisher sometime this fall.
I have to say this is a smart move for Lauzon right now. Although he did well while training out of Massachusetts, Penn may be the fighter Lauzon needs to take his skills to the next level. There isn’t a conflict of interest in the partnership at this point as Lauzon would need several more wins in a row before he could potentially earn a title shot whether it is against Penn, Sherk, or another lightweight fighter. The partnership could become an issue sometime down the road should Penn eventually have to square of with Lauzon in a fight between two of the UFC’s more popular lightweight fighters.
Plus you know, Hawaii >>>>> Massachusetts
Good for Lauzon, he was pretty much the only likable fighter from TUF 5.
I agree Xavier, he already has a decent enough fan base from the show and connects with a lot of fans due to his laid back, average joe personality. I think he is going to be a top fighter and training with Penn will likely speed up the process, it will just be an interesting/awkward situation should they ever face one another.
[...] to square of with Lauzon in a fight between two of the UFC’s more popular lightweight fighters. Joe Lauzon Considering Move to Hawaii | UFC Daily __________________ *Forum Bets 8-1* MMA Forum Presents The UFC My Fighter: Joe Lauzon Rank: [...]
I don't think they will face each other. BJ will fight Sherk for the title and then move up win or lose to the next division. I hope Joe Lauzon changes his nickname before he gets another big match. J-Low is Jennifer Lopez' nickname. I'd like to suggest Joe "The Giant Killer" Lauzon as tribute to his defeat of Pulver and the future giants of the sport that he will defeat.
Can we change Joe Lauzon's nickname to "The Giant Killer" in reference to his defeat of Pulver and any future giants? I hate J-Lau pronounced J-Low. Everyone knows that's Jennifer Lopez' nickname.
I don't believe Penn will move up a division if he wins. If he loses I would be almost sure of it but I am guessing there is an off the record agreement that the UFC has with him that he can't jump up in weight while being a title holder.
I am all for changing Lauzon's nickname too, I am not really a fan of it and actually thought it was a joke when I first heard it.
You got to remember Penn has a huge ego. If he defeats Sherk I think he will be satisfied and will then set his sights on Matt Hughes. I think staying that light (155) is very tough for him, remember BJ really doesn't like to train (as opposed to Sean Sherk). I think he is most comfortable at 170 and would probably walk around with 180. I'm not familiar with the particular's of his contract so if it dictates that he stay to defend then he stays.
It may not be a specific stipulation legally but rather an unspoken code. I don't think Dana wants anyone holding or attempting to hold 2 belts at the same time because it only holds each division up.
BJ has reportedly started a different training regimen making it easier for him to make weight so if he wins I would expect him to stay in the lightweight division until he loses the belt. He might be more comfortable at welterweight but that division is at a backlog and he would be better off to try win take the title from Sherk before considering a jump in weight.
If BJ won, and then left LW, it would create a match for the LW belt ala Florian vs Sherk, of course he'd have to relinquish the LW belt. A healthy Joe Lauzon should grab that belt from whomever they put him against ( I've been to Joe's gym in Bridgewater and have followed him for some time, he's a killer). Dana White would benefit from that match-up for the title. In fact, don't be surprised if ends up being Spencer Fisher vs Joe "The Giant Killer" Lauzon for that very belt (if they both can maintain a winning streak). Dana would get as giggly as a schoolgirl, because that match-up is already being spoken about by both camps. It also has the age-old, "You kicked my younger brother's ass, now I"m gonna kick yours", storyline of revenge.
Yes, BJ started a new regimen for the revenge of his loss to Pulver and will stay with it for his fight with Sherk, but I don't think he enjoys the process at all. There is nothing easy about staying light. You can't have any of the foods that you really enjoy and as he ages it becomes tougher. He'd be a happier Hawaiian at WW. I just don't think he'd feel like a conquerer defending against people he knew were literally beneath him in the LW division.
The obvious challenge for him would be Matt Hughes at WW. BJ would have the opportunity to avenge his loss and it would create another scenario that Dana loves. BJ on a mission to beat the guys that beat him. He already took the first step by crushing Pulver.
Thanks for the info MrRee, that may very well be how the situation plays out. After Sherk and Penn face off I think Fisher might get a shot perhaps but the lightweight division has a lot of people who might be good enough but none that really stand out just yet.
Oh yeah we can't forget to put Nate Diaz in that mix. Diaz vs Lauzon was the match I was rooting for all through the Ultimate Fighter season. It's too bad Lauzon broke his hand and had bone chips in his elbow. I'm looking forward to BJ versus Sherk. Who do you think will win?
Now that Spencer Fisher is facing Din Thomas at UFC Fight Night 11 I wouldn't be surprised to see Lauzon vs. Diaz although I doubt the UFC is ready to risk either of their records or marketability this early in their UFC careers.
Well they have to give Diaz and Lauzon name opponents. They are both cream of the crop fighter's in that division. I think they have to face each other at some point, but I disagree that the loss would hurt either of their marketabilities. They are just way too young for that to be a problem. Fighters always lose to someone at some point and if they're good they come back from it. In fact Diaz and Lauzon both have losses on their record so no real harm would be done. It would be a great fight.
I don't think a loss itself would hurt either but I think the UFC would prefer to market both to lead up to a big, top contender matchup rather than have them face off now and have one take a loss so early in their career. The UFC will probably attempts to make it a trilogy of fights anyways so a loss to early in their career could hamper their plans too.
I think we may see them go up against one another next year but I think this year is just too early.
[...] to be fully recovered in time for his November fight. Prior to the fight he is expected to be moving to Hawaii to train with B.J. [...]