Joe Lauzon is as straightforward as they come in the fight game and he has zero issue with that being the case. There's always so much more going on than what Lauzon allows anyone to see, and his ability to change pace and throw a loop is what has made him the undeniable bonus king of the UFC.

The Massachusetts native's ability to get mean and nasty is well documented, just as his talents for out-slicking his opposition is stamped on record as well. The paradox of Lauzon comes in his personality and approach. He's simply a nice guy until it's time to not be nice anymore.

Also worth noting: Lauzon will definitely appreciate a Patrick Swayze reference.

Plenty of words have been written on the techie/fighter/father combination where his backstory seems carved in stone. And while that very well may be the case, it's not the past Lauzon thinks about. It's the future, and if there is one thing Lauzon appreciates, it's keeping things moving.

Yet, with the savvy veteran's most recent victory over Marcin Held coming via controversial split decision on the judges' scorecards, that past had to be revisited a touch before rolling forward.

The two talented grapplers engaged in a back-and-forth affair at UFC Fight Night 103 back in January which resulted in Lauzon's hand being raised at the end. Immediately following the bout Lauzon shared his belief Held actually won the fight, but looking back two months removed, those thoughts have changed a bit.


Jan 15, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Joe Lauzon (left) is declared the winner by decision over Marcin Held during UFC Fight Night at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

"I thought for sure it wasn't going my way," Lauzon told FloCombat. "One of my pet peeves is when it's a super close round and the corner tells you that you got it. They tell you that you're up one round or two rounds for sure, but if it's ever super close, you just have to assume you lost the round. You can't go into the final round thinking you are up 2-0 when that's not the case.

"I thought we had the first for sure. I thought that was clear. I thought he could have taken the second round and then came out in the third thinking we had to take it to win the fight. And it ended up being his round so I remember thinking, 'I lost. I screwed up.'

"We walked to the center to do the thing and I heard them start to announce one judge at a time and that always means split," he continued. "They announce that he had the first judge and I had the second judge and I'm like, 'Get the f*ck outta here. There's no way.' Then the third judge gave it to me as well.

"At the time I said what I said, but looking back on it I see the fight being a lot closer than I did at the time because I was so focused on that third round. The second round was really close, and I still don't know if I definitely won the fight, but at least I can understand how the judges saw it. Regardless, it wasn't the kind of night I wanted to have."

In the case of close or controversial endings in fights, the UFC has been prone to running them back in immediate fashion. With the recent announcement of Lauzon's next bout coming against prospect Stevie Ray, however, a second dance with Held appears unlikely. The Ultimate Fighter alum has no problems with that being the case either.


Aug 27, 2016; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Joe Lauzon (red gloves) reacts to fight against Jim Miller (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

"I like to keep it moving and I don't like watching rematches," Lauzon said. "You kind of already know what's going to happen and how it's going to play out. I think the Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson rematch is a perfect example. The two fights really weren't that much different. The first fight was definitely more exciting, but the same tendencies were there. And that's how it played out.

"I'd rather just get on because there are other guys to fight. I honestly don't want to think about someone any longer than I have to. I get sick of thinking about someone, planning for them and preparing for them.

"Once the fight is over I don't have to think about them anymore, with the exception of Jim Miller," he added. "We did that one twice and could probably do it at least two more."

While Ray is only 26 years of age, his cage experience is far beyond his years. The fighting Scot has notched the same amount of fights as he's had years on Earth, with six of those coming under the UFC banner. In that run he's found victory in all but one matchup, and the idea of fighting someone who isn't very well known on the UFC stage has Lauzon excited.


Jul 9, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Joe Lauzon (blue gloves) reacts to his win against Diego Sanchez (red gloves) during UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

"This is a new guy and I love it," Lauzon said. "I know his name is Stevie Ray, but I keep wanting to call him Stevie Ray Vaughan from the whole Harlem Heat deal. It's nice to have someone new to focus on who we don't know much about. We get to break him down and figure out what he's good at and what his strategy will be. I really enjoy that part."

Any conversation with Lauzon will automatically start with mixed martial arts, but it would be a crime if other topics outside the combat realm weren't discussed. And with the recent release of the highly anticipated "Logan" movie, there was no way Lauzon's thoughts on the topic weren't going to be taken on record.

As an avid comic book reader and superhero movie buff, getting Lauzon's thoughts on Hugh Jackman's big screen curtain call to the beloved Wolverine character was a must. With the movie already receiving an incredible amount of praise and a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the big question lingered as to the movie's standing on the list of all-time greats.

When this topic came to call, Lauzon made a very bold claim.



"I think it's probably the best, and here's why: It's not trying to be a superhero movie," Lauzon explained. "There are superheroes in it, but it's not really a superhero movie. It's more of a drama than anything. In most superhero movies, like 'Superman' for example, the director tries to blow you away with how awesome his powers are. That wasn't the case here.

"Logan was way more about the plot and the emotional aspect of the characters. The arcs of Logan and Professor X were both incredible and it is a really good movie. I thought it was great and definitely outside the realm of the typical superhero movie."

By making that call, Lauzon placed "Logan" alongside, yet over the Christopher Nolan gem "The Dark Knight," where Heath Ledger made his Oscar-winning turn as The Joker. He simply loved how Jackman's Logan and Patrick Stewart's Professor X brought it all to a close.

"I don't want to give too much away, but I really loved all the Professor X stuff in the movie," Lauzon said. "Everything happening with his mind was a very cool turn and I like that they kept a lot of the details secret. It all started with the trailer because they did a great job of keeping everything vague. You didn't know what was going on, didn't know who the bad guys were or what was going on with the little girl. You knew it was going to be X-23 but that was it.

"They made a small mention but never really made clear where the other X-Men were, but other than that I thought it was great from top to bottom. I definitely think the R-rating helped it a ton and that made me so happy because in the other films Wolverine's savagery was limited. Not the case in 'Logan' and it's a can't miss movie. I loved it."