White: Johnson vs. Lauzon 'one of the most lopsided' fights in UFC history

BOSTON – Just prior to Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 26 card, UFC President Dana White spoke to the night’s competitors and singled out one of them and pointed to him as proof that big money can follow big performances.

So imagine his reaction when that fighter, Joe Lauzon, soon found himself on the wrong end of what White called “one of the most lopsided, one-sided beatings you’ll ever see in the UFC.”

White, talking to the card’s other 25 competitors at TD’s Boston Garden, explained that with 12 fight-night bonuses – including six for “Submission of the Night” – Lauzon had picked up more than $600,000 in supplemental career earnings. It was supposed to be motivation that if you fight like Lauzon, substantial bonus checks can follow.

But in their FOX Sports 1-televised main-card bout, and while fighting in his home state, perennial contender Lauzon (22-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC) was simply outclassed and overmatched by fellow lightweight Michael Johnson (13-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC).

Despite the being odds-on favorite and clear support from the crowd, Lauzon was dropped on multiple occasions in the first round, and he never fully recovered. Johnson mixed up his offense and out-struck Lauzon 116-25, according to FightMetric. It resulted in two 30-27 scores and a surprising 30-25 tally.

“What, did a limb fall off? He kick a limb off?” a surprised White said when he was told about the 30-25 score. “Actually, it was close to a limb. That guy had two contusions (on his head). That could have been a 30-10.”

Johnson, who was on a 4-1 run before back-to-back losses to Myles Jury and Reza Madadi, avoided a third straight defeat with the impressive performance. And though it shocked White, who said such lopsided bouts can usually only be found on the regional circuit, Johnson had mentally prepared himself well before the fight.

“Of course you’re always going to feel hostility coming into someone’s home field and (they expect you) expect to lose,” Johnson said after the fight. “I felt it from the second I landed in Boston.

“I definitely wanted to finish him, but I feel good to get out of here with a solid performance.”

White, meanwhile, said the bout was like others in which one fighter is on his game and the other isn’t. It can result in dominant performances, though in this case, the UFC boss said it’s one of the most lopsided he can recall.

“We’ve all seen it before,” he said. “First of all, Lauzon looked terrible. He looked like he wasn’t even there. On the other side, [Johnson] looked f—ing awesome. It was one of those things where he (Lauzon) had the worst night he ever had, and he (Johnson) had the best night he’s had in a long time.”

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