UFC lightweight Josh Thomson better keep his head on a swivel the next time he strolls into the American Kickboxing Academy. A training partner to UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier, Josh Thomson aparently doesn’t think much of athletes competing in MMA’s weightier weight classes.
“You hit 185, 205, and heavyweight, those guys are always just good at like one thing, two things, but they’re not great all the way around,” Thomson tells FOX Sports. “There’s ways to finish them. So if you’re a well-rounded athlete, you can finish those guys. You can find ways to finish those guys.
“With 55-pounders and below, good luck, man. Everybody’s good all around — they’re good wrestlers, they’re good jiu-jitsu guys, they’re good standup guys, they’re game to throw down and they’re always in shape. 170 is kind of like the limbo — like there’s some well-rounded guys in there. [Georges St-Pierre] was the champion so long because he was the most well-rounded and usually in the best shape. But that’s kind of like the whole new guy — that’s why Rory MacDonald does well. He’s in shape, he’s got pretty good jiu-jitsu, he’s hard to take down but he’s got good standup. He’s well-rounded with good shape. Those are the guys that are hard to beat.”
While guys like Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson would likely feel pretty secure in their skill sets, Thomson insists they don’t stack up with lighter-weight fighters.
“You start getting in the 185’s, 205, heavyweight, they start being one-dimensional, two-dimensional fighters,” says Thomson. “They’re not mixed martial artists. They’re not as good as the 55-pounders and below,” Thomson said. “They’re just not. To me that’s just a fact.”
The owner of a cardio studio in San Jose, Thomson might be just the man to rescue these souls from the top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Peahead’s revenge. Dustin Poirier will get his chance to derail Conor McGregor’s hype at UFC 178.
Nurmy. Khabib Nurmagomedov is headed for surgery after tearing the meniscus in his right knee.
Signal to noise. Luke Thomas breaks down the best and worst of UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Brandao.
Baroni blog. Phil Baroni details his return to fighting ahead of his bout with Karo Parisyan at Bellator 122.
King. Bobby Green talks working through his brother’s death, a broken ankle and raising a newborn while preparing for this weekend’s UFC on FOX 12.
MEDIA STEW
Free Fight: Robbie Lawler vs Bobby Voelker.
Speak of the devil. “Josh Thomson breaks down the techniques behind the moves that have made him one of the most exciting fighters in the history of the lightweight division.”
Eddie Bravo explains the Rubber Guard to Rickson Gracie.
Team Alpha Male takes over a golf course.
Fighters remember their favorite B.J. Penn moments.
Joan Jett approves.
Long watches.
Did Police “Choke” NY Man to Death? (Gracie Breakdown – Viewer Discretion Advised)
TWEETS
$$$
Tell Jon I’m taking a cut of his PPV.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 22, 2014
If you build them I will come.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) July 22, 2014
Never forget.
Found a pic of @SpiderAnderson & I training,taken by @eduardo_alonso 12+years ago, when we were both chasing a dream! pic.twitter.com/ZMHET9WEtb
— Shogun Rua (@ShogunRua) July 19, 2014
Get well soon.
Pass the examination of the knee in Moscow
#criscyborg #invictafc #champion #keeptrust #teamcyborg #ideanutrition #shutF^#up #dontSpeakShit #atitude #Mahatma Gandhi #GodInControl #trashtalkBullshit
Aqueles que têm um grande autocontrole, ou que estão totalmente absortos no trabalho, … http://t.co/2OtvlzLPYS pic.twitter.com/WoFsUmw3pN
— Cris Cyborg (@criscyborg) July 22, 2014
Scary.
How about that. Super sketch driving with this popping and cracking lastnight Super rock broke it pic.twitter.com/olEI7kYO6F
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) July 22, 2014
Big week.
I liked it so I put a ring on it @orlaghhunter pic.twitter.com/yvkgAG7mcQ
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) July 22, 2014
The struggle.
Damnit my inner fat kid got the best of me again. #junkfoodaddiction #thestruggle pic.twitter.com/nZdrMCdo3G
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) July 23, 2014
Golf courses installing 15″ holes and foot (soccer) golf to increase revenue. WTF just lower the price and add some cute cart girls.
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) July 23, 2014
When I said I was watching my daughter @ufc someone just asked me if she was a ring girl 😀
— DrAnnMaria (@DrAnnMaria) July 22, 2014
Girls date me then get boob jobs …I wish it was the other way around
— Zach Underwood (@Thunderwood01) July 23, 2014
But the abs.
Sorry guys but I had to eat a in-n-out 4 by 4. Couldn’t help!! Haha Remember: Work hard, train hard but play harder. pic.twitter.com/TqfFnFAUPB
— Claudia Gadelha (@ClaudiaGadelha_) July 22, 2014
Please no.
Awesome first day on my new Breakout @harleydavidson my son is loving it too! http://t.co/qP7S0FNVWO
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) July 22, 2014
Sounds good.
I’m going to check out this Scott Coker guy @bellatormma this Friday.. I’ll let y’all know what’s up. pic.twitter.com/4420EYReOC
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) July 22, 2014
Back at it. #restarts #2ndchances http://t.co/uQO3NVwCGl
— Todd Duffee (@ToddDuffee) July 23, 2014
A little boxing.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Jul. 22 2014)
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 178
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via HerrDannyboy.
Why 2013 Kicked this MMA Fan’s @ss Part 7A: July: He took it for granted… Prologue
Note: To those who care: Part 6 can be found here:
Why 2013 Kicked this MMA Fan’s @ss Part 6: June: The Thrill of Brazil, the Agony of Winnipeg
Mea culpa: This one will be updated with [more] vitriol.
I was so taken aback and disgusted by the absurdity of Schaub and the ennui of UFC 161 (Why 2013? Why!!), I ended up overlooking some very noteworthy Folklore and Tidbits, namely:
Mark Hunt giving the usual number of fucks (How many?) and brushing off his painful and life-threatening UFC 160 battle wounds like they were mere mosquito bites (I dare you to click on these 2 links. Go on! I double dare you).
Brandon Schaub and Matt Mitrione engaging in a meeting of the minds on Twitter (Surprise! The minds are a no-show).
Roy Nelson channeling his inner Harriet Beecher Stowe.
A Noob challenging Anderson Silva.
****Disclaimer
Anderson Silva and George St-Pierre are the reason I started watching MMA religiously.
As I’ve said before, they are my 2 favorite fighters (JDS being the 3rd) in that order… and as you found out in March Madness, I’m a Montrealer that only watches fight sports.
Therefore, the magnitude of the psychological beating I’ve received in July 2013 cannot be expressed in the number of words acceptable for a thesis, let alone a Fanpost.
It was impossible for me to be succinct, so this one’s been dismembered.
You’ll be getting the limbs one at a time.
…
Check out the rest of the post here.
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.