After return home, Lauzon hopes to move up

Dan Lauzon will be headlining World Championship Fighting event on Friday night against Brenden Hoxie. Lauzon has a wealth of experience for a fighter of his age. At just 20 years old, he has already competed in 11 professional mixed martial arts bouts and has compiled a record of 9-2.

WCF's card will take place in Lauzon's home state, Massachusetts. Massachusetts is becoming one of the most popular states for mixed martial arts training, especially in the northeast. With Lauzon's school, Reality Self Defense, and Sityodtong in Boston, there is a lot of interest being generated.

"It seems like everyone is into it," Lauzon said on MMAWeekly Radio. "When you're walking down the street, it seems like everybody knows something about mixed martial arts. Whether they train or they fight, everyone knows someone who's in it."

One thing that Lauzon has to his advantage is that he has an excellent training partner that just happens to be his own blood. Joe Lauzon, an Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, helps train his brother Dan at their school in Bridgewater, Mass. Lauzon believes having a training partner like your brother is invaluable.

"You can't have a better training partner than your brother because you want to beat him and he wants to beat you. We constantly want to one up the other one."

Lauzon's experience so far in the fight game is unbelievable. He is the youngest fighter to ever compete in the UFC. Even though he lost his only fight there against Spencer Fisher, he gained a lot mentally and in his experience of being able to handle pressure.

"Pressure doesn't really bother me at all. I'm kind of numb to it."

Lauzon also believes that he has transcended tremendously since losing back-to-back fights early last year. "I'm ten times the fighter I was when I fought Spencer Fisher and Deividas (Taurosevicius)," he commented. "I'm constantly improving and I'm putting 100 percent into it. If I had more time to train for that fight, I have no doubt I would have won that fight."

He'll get the chance to prove it on Friday when he'll take on Hoxie. Lauzon is looking forward to taking him on. "I'm excited. I'm ready to go. I've been training hard. I can't wait."

"The Upgrade" has studied tape on his opponent and has seen him fight a couple times. "I like watching tape," he explained. "I like studying tape and seeing tendencies. I think checking out tapes is definitely something people should do."

Hoxie is known for his ground game, so Lauzon is looking to stand with him and take him out, although he isn't afraid to go to the ground. "That's my plan. I want to go in there and slow the pace, pick him apart and put him away. He has a good ground game, but I'm not worried about going to the ground because I have a good ground game."

Lauzon has fought for the WCF a few times throughout his career, but he's hoping he will be able to move on to a larger promotion by the end of the year. In fact, he has some things in motion to make that happen.

"By the end of the year, I would like to be with a big show. I'm still only 20. I'm constantly improving. I don't mind getting experience in the ring. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll be with a big company."

First he will have to get past Hoxie as the WCF returns to the Aleppo Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass. on Friday night.