AN UNLIKELY BEGINNING
From Computer Science to the UFC
I have always been interested in figuring out how things work. Before mixed martial arts became my career, that curiosity led me toward computers. I attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and worked as a network administrator while training and competing on the side.
At that point, becoming a professional fighter was not an obvious or particularly practical career plan. Mixed martial arts was still a young sport, especially in New England, and there was no guarantee that working hard would eventually lead to the UFC.
I trained because I loved the process. I enjoyed breaking techniques down, understanding why they worked, and finding better ways to solve problems. That analytical approach carried over naturally from computers to fighting and eventually into coaching.
My opportunity came in 2006 when I was offered a fight against Jens Pulver at UFC 63. Jens was the UFC’s first lightweight champion and one of the most recognizable fighters in the division. I was a relatively unknown fighter from Massachusetts entering the matchup as a major underdog.
I caught him with a left hand and won by knockout just 48 seconds into the first round. That one moment changed the direction of my career.
THE JOURNEY
A Career Built on Taking Chances
I was never very interested in doing just enough to win. My style was based on pressure, calculated aggression, and trying to finish the fight. Sometimes that created great nights. Sometimes it created difficult nights. It almost always created memorable ones.
2006
UFC Debut
A 48-second knockout of Jens Pulver introduced me to the UFC audience.
2007
The Ultimate Fighter
I joined Team Penn on Season 5, reached the semifinals, and returned at the live finale.
2012
Varner & Miller
Two unforgettable fights helped define the aggressive style people associated with my career.
2014
Fighting at Home
A memorable battle with Michael Chiesa brought another major UFC fight to New England.
2016
UFC 200
I stopped Diego Sanchez in the first round on one of the largest events in UFC history.
TODAY
Passing It On
The lessons from those fights now shape how I teach, coach, and lead Lauzon MMA.
BUILT FOR THE FINISH
Pressure, calculated aggression, and a willingness to take chances.
MEMORABLE FIGHTS
Fights That Defined the Career
Each fight presented a different kind of problem. These are a few of the performances and battles that fans still ask me about most often.
MEMORABLE FOR A REASON
Technical fights. Difficult moments. Fifteen UFC performance bonuses.
BEYOND FIGHT NIGHT
Showing the Work Behind the Fight
Fight night is only a small part of being a professional fighter. The training camp, coaching meetings, injuries, weight cut, travel, medical requirements, and time spent preparing with teammates are usually invisible to the audience.
Throughout my career, I enjoyed showing people what actually happened before and after a fight. My video blogs captured the exciting moments, but they also showed the problem-solving, stress, mistakes, jokes, and occasional chaos that came with preparing for a UFC event.
That behind-the-scenes content gave fans a more honest view of the sport and created a record of experiences that would otherwise have disappeared as soon as fight week ended.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Building Lauzon Mixed Martial Arts
Today, most of my attention is focused on coaching and operating Lauzon Mixed Martial Arts.
The academy grew from the same environment that helped me build my own career: serious training, intelligent coaching, teammates who help one another, and the belief that people improve fastest when expectations are high but the environment remains supportive.
We still work with professional and amateur fighters who want to compete at a high level. Fighters from across New England regularly come through the academy to train, spar, and prepare for competition.
But the professional fight team is only one part of Lauzon MMA. Most of our members are children, parents, and working adults. Some want to compete, while many simply want to learn a useful skill, become more active, build confidence, and find a positive group of people to train with.
01
Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Martial arts gives children immediate and honest feedback. They learn that attention matters, improvement takes repetition, and staying calm helps them solve difficult problems.
DEVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE
Confidence is built one challenge at a time.
COACHING THAT CONNECTS
Every student deserves to feel seen, supported, and challenged.
MORE THAN A FIGHT GYM
A Place for Fighters, Beginners, and Entire Families
As a father and coach, I believe martial arts can have an enormous positive influence on children. They become more coordinated and physically confident, but they also learn to handle frustration, work with partners, listen carefully, and respond when something does not go their way.
One of the best parts of the academy is seeing entire families become involved. Sometimes a child begins training first and a parent eventually decides to try a class. In other cases, parents and children start at the same time.
Martial arts gives families something active and challenging that they can share while still allowing every person to progress at an individual pace.
Our goal is not to turn every member into a fighter. Our goal is to give every member excellent instruction, meaningful challenges, supportive teammates, and the opportunity to become more capable than when they started.