23-year-old lightweight Joe Lauzon (15-3) attributes much of his success to his “Ultimate Fighter 5” coach, MMA legend and current UFC lightweight champ, B.J. Penn. Though Lauzon lost TUF 5 in the semi-finals, under Penn’s tutelage at his Hilo, Hawaii camp, Lauzon managed to beat out Jason Reinhardt in November, 2007’s UFC 78 with a lightning-fast rear naked choke.

Now fans await Lauzon’s next big bout, Ultimate Fight Night 13 on Spike TV April 2, against Kenny Florian. Lauzon is confident in his ability to win in a mixed martial arts match against the more favored fighter, having admitted that Florian could possibly beat him were the fight to be strictly Jiu Jitsu or straight boxing. He also compliments Florian’s kicks and his potential to choke Lauzon in a GI.

Lauzon goes on to point out, however, that when you put it all together, Lauzon himself has the advantage, especially when you throw his wrestling skills into the mix.

If Lauzon – whose 2006 debut bout saw him knocking out Jens Pulver in less than a minute – can beat title-contender Florian, it would decisively place him in the top 5 UFC lightweights.

Filed under: General UFC, UFC Events, UFC Fighters