With an incredible 11 “Fight Night” awards in 13 UFC appearances, Joe Lauzon (22-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) consistently proves himself as one of the most exciting fighters in MMA.

As the 28-year-old lightweight preps for his UFC 155 co-feature with Jim Miller (21-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC), Lauzon says the recipe for bonus-check success is simple.

“We don’t gameplan to win fights,” Lauzon told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “We gameplan to dominate fights.”

That mantra has worked wonders in recent wins over Jamie Varner, Melvin Guillard and Curt Warburton. Were it not for a devastating high-kick knockout loss to Anthony Pettis this past February, Lauzon would likely be on a short list of contenders for current lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

For now, Lauzon will simply wait in the shadows as he refines his lethal approach.

“When we work on our boxing, we’re working on combinations that will finish the fight,” Lauzon said. “You can’t go out there and throw Hail Marys right off the bat, but we always have some kind of way to end the fight, no matter where we are. It could be on the feet standing with combinations we think will really pay off. It could be catching people in transitions with wrestling, or it could be just good submissions.

“I’m worried more about the actual submission, the finishing technique, more so than just trying to take somebody down and hold them and make it impossible for them to get up but never offering anything. I don’t ever want to go out there and just try and steal away rounds and control someone. I want to hurt them.”

Miller has struggled in recent outings against champ Henderson and recent title challenger Nate Diaz. However, he’s still considered one of the division’s toughest fighters, and a win could help Lauzon take a step up in the rankings.

“J-Lau” has largely been ignored in most top-10 lists, but he insists that’s not a bother.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m one of the top guys, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks,” Lauzon said. “Obviously it matters what Dana (White) and Joe Silva and those guys think, but I know those guys love to watch me fight. They obviously put me somewhere near the top. They gave me a co-main event slot. They’ve always put me in good fights, tough fights.

“It’s nice that they care about where I am, but I don’t really care about making top-10 lists. I don’t care about making top-5 lists. None of that matters to me. What matters to me is where I am in Joe Silva’s eyes, where I am in Dana’s eyes and where I am in Lorenzo Fertitta’s eyes.”

And those 11 bonus checks should be more than enough for Lauzon to realize the bosses are pleased. Still, public opinion often helps shape fighters’ opportunities, and a win over Miller could very well get Lauzon’s doubters to recognize his talents.

However, the Massachusetts native won’t allow himself to consider such possibilities. For now, the focus is simply on putting together a solid winning streak.

“I don’t think it’s ever like there’s some boundary line where you’ve either made it or not made it,” Lauzon said. “I don’t think there’s really something quite like that. But I do need to be more consistent. I’ve done far too much of winning a fight and then losing a fight. I need to stay healthy and go out there get in the cage and do my job.”

And dominate. Incredibly, all 22 of Lauzon’s career wins have come by stoppage. It is most certainly not by accident.

“I want to hit my opponents in the face, elbow them, whatever I can do,” Lauzon said. “Usually what happens is I hit them with a punch or an elbow or a knee or something like that and then catch a submission. They start to get a little loopy, and they start giving things up. So that’s what we gameplan for.

“I think other guys probably gameplan to win rounds. They’re going to stop the other guy and then win round after round. That’s not us. We gameplan to go out there and hurt people and dominate.”

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