Lauzon Says UFC Tried To Stop BKFC Comeback

Joe Lauzon says the UFC tried to prevent his bare-knuckle boxing debut hours before he stepped into the ring at Fenway Park.

The 42-year-old lightweight knocked out Stash Kuykendall in the second round at BKFC Boston last weekend, his first fight in seven years. But UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell phoned him on fight day with concerns, Lauzon told Ariel Helwani. "Hunter called me and said, 'Why are you doing this? This is the stupidest thing ever. You shouldn't be doing this'," Lauzon said, per BJPenn.com.

What Campbell Offered Lauzon Instead

Campbell floated alternatives to a bare-knuckle comeback. "If it's a money thing, we'll help you out. We'll put you on grappling cards; we'll do something with you. Don't want to see you taking punches because you need money. We want to look out for you," Lauzon recalled Campbell saying.

The Massachusetts native had attempted twice to book a UFC retirement bout against Donald Cerrone, most recently in June 2022 before a knee injury forced him to withdraw after the weigh-in. Four years later, the outdoor BKFC show at Fenway delivered the highlight finish fans had been waiting for.

Lauzon said Campbell clarified the UFC would not block the fight. "I'm not telling you that you can't do this. We'll release you, whatever you want," Campbell told him. Lauzon remains under USADA testing protocols and still receives occasional texts, though he has not been tested recently.

Lauzon finished his UFC run with a 16-10 record and holds the record for most post-fight bonuses in company history. He is not currently booked for a second BKFC appearance.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Joe Lauzon says UFC attempted to talk him out of ‘stupidest’ Bare Knuckle FC comeback