Joe Lauzon is no stranger to big fights, and he has never failed to bring big performances, either.

Consider this: in all eight of his Octagon victories Lauzon has finished his opponents in the first or second rounds, earning in the process a UFC-record five Submission of the Night awards. And in his three UFC losses, Lauzon has gone out fighting like a lion, earning Fight of the Night bonuses in each.

Most recently Lauzon defeated top lightweight contender Melvin Guillard in impressive fashion, needing less than a minute to choke him out and cap an amazing run of six consecutive "Fight Night" awards.

Now Lauzon feels that with the timing of his upcoming fight against former WEC champ Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 in Japan, a big win should get him a ticket to his first title shot.

"Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are going to fight in May," Lauzon told MMAjunkie.com "Frankie Edgar is defending his title against Ben Henderson this weekend, and the winner is going to want to fight a few months later. With Diaz and Miller, you're going to be talking August. I think that's a long time to wait all the way until August, so I think that if I come away with a win on Saturday, I think I'm the next guy in line."

It's hard to argue with Lauzon's logic, especially considering his exciting style and the fact that neither Diaz or Miller, his likely rivals for the number one contender spot, are riding dominant win streaks. For Lauzon, the aggressiveness he brings to the cage is everything.

"People give me crap sometimes about conditioning and cardio and things like that, but I'll argue that guys that are known for having great cardio are not great finishers," Lauzon says. "I would rather go out there and push the pace and put guys away. If I don't put guys away and I end up getting tired, then so be it. I'd rather be a fighter like that because that's a fight I'd rather watch than the guy who's going to take somebody down and is known for having good cardio because he doesn't do anything for five rounds."

That may be the understatement of the year: with 27 pro fights under his belt, Lauzon has only seen one go the distance. In a sport where a lot of fighters predict big finishes, Lauzon's record speaks louder than words. 

And in Pettis, Lauzon feels he has the perfect foil for his high-octane attack.

"We both enjoy fighting exciting fights," Lauzon says. "I'm going to bring it. He's going to bring it. I think it's got 'Fight of the Year' written all over it."