Joe Lauzon Sets the Record for the Most UFC Lightweight Finishes

Joe Lauzon pulled off another magical Octagon moment earlier on Friday when he put a finish to lightweight prospect Jonathan Pearce via first-round TKO.

It didn’t take the UFC veteran long to edge out Pearce during a scramble and earn optimal positioning. With this, Lauzon ended up securing a half nelson and drove Pearce’s head into the canvas as he launched heavy right hands. The latter was trapped and simply couldn’t defend himself as the referee eventually stepped in for the stoppage.

With this performance, Lauzon passes Jim Miller for most finishes (13) in UFC lightweight history. The 35-year-old lost his last three fights, so this win at home was very sweet indeed. Lauzon mentioned during his post-fight interview that he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be fighting for, but he clearly has some gas left in the tank.

“It’s hard for someone to come in here. But this is my house. This is my cage. My last fight was a year and a half ago. Maybe it’s the last, maybe it’s not. I don’t know … I’m not going there I’m going home and playing with my kids,” Lauzon said.

Pearce was aggressive right from the get go and managed to land a combination. He continued to win the eye-catching scholarships, but Lauzon countered with a left hand. Lauzon succeeded with another shot that stunned Pearce. From then on, Pearce was simply trying to survive Lauzon’s onslaught. Joe Lauzon was able to climb the mountain, but Pearce rolled.

By rolling, Lauzon was able to get half a nelson to control punches with Pearce who couldn’t protect himself. After seeing Pearce absorb some heavy punches, referee Herb Dean withdrew and stopped the fight.

Joe Lauzon is considered as a UFC legend. Since joining the UFC in 2006, he has won 15 performance bonuses, most closely associated with Nate Diaz in UFC’s history. The American arrived in his home state of Massachusetts, desperate for a win. As it turned out, he was on a triple losing streak and had lost four of his last five fights. At the age of 35, he hinted before the fight that Saturday could be his last fight.