In a packed TD Garden nearly three years ago, the UFC officially debuted in Massachusetts and Boston local Joe Lauzon was naturally pegged as a fan favorite when his fight was announced on the card.

Now for the second time in his UFC career, Lauzon will fight in Beantown on the FOX Sports 1 debut event on Aug. 17.

“It was so loud I couldn’t even hear my corner men, and the fight hadn’t even started yet,” Lauzon said of his fight with Gabe Ruediger at UFC 118. “People talk about how they feed off of the crowd, but when I did it myself it was unbelievable.”

And while he dominated Ruediger to the crowd’s delight, a title shot has always seemed to elude Lauzon.

For him, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time when it comes to challenging for the championship at this point in his decorated UFC career.

“People say the number one contender should always fight the champ, but that doesn’t work out like that,” Lauzon said. “People get injured, guys who are sometimes coming off of losses get title shots like Chael Sonnen. It’s not always about rankings”

Lauzon himself is no stranger to setbacks inside the Octagon. Despite owning 12 post-fight bonuses and a brilliant war of attrition in his last fight, a title shot has always seemed to elude the Massachusetts native.

“People always tell me how exciting my last fight was (with Jim Miller at UFC 155), but even thought I had a good fight with Miller, but I’m still coming off of a loss,” said Lauzon. “Having an exciting fight is great, but it was still a loss.”

Now returning to his native Boston with a crowd determined to support him, the fringe lightweight contender is figuring out a new path to the title. After all, Lauzon is already a seven-year veteran of the UFC, and recent wins against Melvin Guillard and Jamie Varner have been squeezed between losses to Miller and Anthony Pettis.

And on Aug. 17, he’ll be locked into the Octagon with Michael Johnson, an Ultimate Fighter alum from Season 12. Although primarily known for his wrestling acumen, Johnson scored big last year with a brutal second-round knockout of former WEC veteran Danny Castillo.

“The Castillo fight sticks out the most in my mind. Castillo rocked him and beat him up, but he slept on Johnson for a second and was hit with a big right hook that knocked him out,” Lauzon said of his upcoming opponent. “I don’t want that to be me.”

Because if Lauzon succumbs to a similar fate, his shot at the title would surely vanish. With the hometown crowd once again backing him, his fight with Johnson is likely a deal breaker for Lauzon as a contender.

“I’m coming off of a couple of a losses and a few good wins, I don’t care who it is, I just need to get a few wins together,” said the Bostonian. “Luck plays a big part of it, I need to stay healthy and not get injured. Then, who knows.”