Joe Lauzon excited for 'awesome' Takanori Gomi summer matchup
Joe Lauzon has a strange idea of "perfect" timing. The hard-working lightweight just fought in late January, and has a wedding and Metamoris grappling match scheduled for May.
After those big events, Lauzon will now jump straight into a full training camp for his next UFC bout. The news that Lauzon will face former world champion Takanori Gomi July 25 in Chicago, was broken by America's Pregame Thursday afternoon.
Speaking with FOX Sports moments later, Lauzon oozed excitement, which fight fans everywhere no doubt share at the pairing of these two exciting favorites. "This is exactly what I wanted," Joe tells us.
"I knew I wanted to take a little time off to rest my head because I definitely got rocked [in his last fight, a UFC 183 TKO loss to Al Iaquinta]. A couple months ago I told [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva that I wanted to fight in late June or early July. So, this is what I was hoping for. I've got a grappling match in early May, and then two months later, I have a fight."
Lauzon, who has been feeling under the weather the past few days, may have initially thought that Silva was about to ask him to serve as a last-minute replacement when he saw the UFC executive's number pop up on his phone. "I have been sick the last couple days, so I've been laying low," he says.
"Then, Joe pops up on my phone and I thought, 'here we go (laughs).' My heart was racing. I picked up, he asked how I was doing, shooting the [expletive]. Then, he told me he had a great fight for me. 'Two fan favorites,' he said. 'You and Takanori Gomi.' I said, 'that's awesome.'"
By the time he fights Gomi, Lauzon will have had about five months between bouts. That is certainly a good precautionary amount of time, given the damage he took in his last bout, and Lauzon feels confident he'll be able to deliver by July.
"I haven't done any sparring since the fight," he explains.
"We'll continue to focus on the grappling stuff until after Metamoris, then we'll jump in and get back to everything else."
Gomi has won three out of his last five fights, but is also coming off a TKO loss to Myles Jury last September. Lauzon's last fight snapped a two bout win streak for the Boston area fighter.
It is unlikely that Gomi vs. Lauzon will not result in a fascinating and exciting fight for fans July 25. Over the course of his long and legendary career, the Japanese slugger has posted 19 finishes.
For his part, Lauzon is perhaps the most prolific finisher on the UFC roster. Of 24 career wins, only one victory was not by way of either submission or KO, for the 30-year-old.
Lauzon seems as amped as fans will be for this summer barn-burner. "I'm pumped about it," he says.
"It is good timing. It's going to be a great fight."
