Tag: Josh Thomson

Josh Thomson Faces Fighting’s Toughest Decision After Loss to Benson Henderson

This is something I don’t normally say, but I think it would be shame if Josh Thomson never fought again after losing to Benson Henderson on Saturday at UFC on Fox 10.
Typically, when it comes to MMA, I would describe myself as pro-retirement. Ou…

This is something I don’t normally say, but I think it would be shame if Josh Thomson never fought again after losing to Benson Henderson on Saturday at UFC on Fox 10.

Typically, when it comes to MMA, I would describe myself as pro-retirement. Our sport is so mentally and physically demanding—and the payoffs generally so meager compared to the risks—that the moment a fighter decides it’s not worth it anymore, it’s time to call it a career.

If he or she can make a living working behind the scenes, in front of a camera or in an entirely different industry, that’s usually the best possible move. As mere spectators, it’s our duty to respect the decision, just as we did for Nick Diaz last year and Georges St-Pierre last month.

But even in a field where we’re used to unhappy endings and unfulfilled dreams, it would feel particularly unfair if things ended like this for Thomson.

The longtime MMA veteran had enjoyed the biggest star turn of his career since returning to the UFC in 2013. The previous dozen years left him as little more than the second-best lightweight in Strikeforce, a guy who’d likely be remembered for coming up short in his classic trilogy with Gilbert Melendez.

His second-round knockout of Nate Diaz at a UFC on Fox show last April changed all that, and a couple of unforeseen injuries at the top of the 155-pound division allowed him to ride the wave well past most of our expectations.

Saturday’s bout with Henderson should’ve been another triumph. Thomson came in as more than a 2-1 underdog but destroyed those odds, as he continually dragged Henderson to the mat and climbed on his back.

Even after breaking his thumb in the first round, Thomson controlled most of the action. Again and again, he managed to get to a dominant position, threatening Henderson with submissions while crafting an advantage that seemed obvious to most onlookers, if not the ringside officials.

The gritty performance should’ve boosted him into the title shot he was promised late last year, or at least set him up for a championship eliminator against a returning T.J. Grant in the coming months.

Instead, after the judges botched another one—and Henderson won his umpteenth controversial decision—it left him contemplating the end.

We’re still not sure exactly how seriously to take the numerous hints Thomson made at retirement during the post-fight press conference. History has taught us not to put much stock in the things fighters say in such close proximity to the actual bout.

Still, it was unusually galling to watch Thomson choke back tears and try to find the right words while Henderson sat on the other side of the podium, cracking jokes and reveling in victory.

It was also disappointing to read critical comments from Dana White, who said in the immediate aftermath that neither fighter “really went after it and tried to pull out the win,” according to MMA Junkie.com.

Hopefully, those criticisms will fade in the coming days. At some point, UFC brass will realize that Thomson almost beat a former champion with only one opposable thumb. It will likely give Thomson a couple weeks to cool off and come back at him with an offer to fight another top contender.

God knows he deserves it. The biggest question may be whether it’ll be enough to entice Thomson back into the cage.

I kind of hope so.

At this point, he’s certainly in the twilight of his career, but at 35 years old, he’s never looked more capable. For all his talk about having a rough time preparing for this bout, Thomson took Henderson to his absolute limit, even after suffering what should have been a debilitating injury.

If justice had been served, he’d be the No. 1 contender right now—or at least he’d be able to walk away and make this a storybook ending for his career.

But few storybooks end with their protagonists getting jobbed on a lousy decision.

Thomson deserves one more chapter.

I hope he gets a good one and I hope he takes advantage.

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UFC on Fox 10: Long-Term Implications of Henderson vs. Thomson

Even in a non-title bout, Benson Henderson had an opportunity to distinguish himself among the elite in the 155-pound division. But with a controversial split-decision win over Josh Thomson, Henderson only further established himself as one of UFC’s mo…

Even in a non-title bout, Benson Henderson had an opportunity to distinguish himself among the elite in the 155-pound division. But with a controversial split-decision win over Josh Thomson, Henderson only further established himself as one of UFC’s most divisive stars.

There’s nothing Henderson himself can do about the mind-boggling 4-to-1 decision given by the tiebreaking judge. Well, except never let the fight go the distance in the first place. Though Saturday night’s victory moves Henderson to a stellar 19-3, he’s hardly been dominating:

It’s now been over four years since Henderson took a fight’s decision out of the judges’ hands, a perplexing stat for one of the best lightweights. Though the victories continue to pile up, public patience has to be wearing thin with the supremely talented 30-year-old who continues to insist on long, tight fights that offer almost no answers.

Indeed, after two losses to Anthony Pettis, it appears highly unlikely that Henderson will receive another title shot. Former top contender T.J. Grant figures to get that fight against Pettis if the duo can get healthy on relatively similar timetables. For now, it’s totally unclear who Henderson might face next, especially given that a rematch with Thomson does not appear in the cards.

In fact, Thomson asserted after the fight that he might retire after suffering a broken thumb in the first round. Thomson did an admirable job of battling through while Henderson rallied, despite essentially fighting with one hand. But, per Fox Sport’s Damon Martin, the raw emotion from Thomson after the fight suggested a devastated fighter:

This might be it. The Gilbert fight, that to me was a close fight, but I can see how it went either way. This fight I felt like I won. I won with one hand. I beat the former UFC champion, it was the guy who was here for two years, and I beat him with one hand. That’s what I can’t stomach. I’m a better fighter, that’s what pisses me off.

I had this all in my head. A 15-, 16-week camp will really get to you. I’m no spring chicken. I just love this sport. It was kind of coming up before the title fight was offered, a little bit. There’s a possibility (I would have turned down the title shot) because what’s the point of winning the title if you’re not going to be fighting much longer? I don’t want to do that to the UFC either.

In reality, Thomson was the only fighter who entered the bout with a realistic shot at Pettis. Considering all the scrambles where Thomson could not put Henderson away, it seems reasonable to argue that the injury was what made the fight close in the first place.

The 35-year-old may have lost his last best chance at a UFC belt, especially considering the rehab time he will need if he decides to launch a comeback. If there’s any consolation for Thomson, it’s that the Pettis and Davis injuries mean that there is unlikely to be a title bout soon. The prolonged search for a clear-cut lightweight contender buys Thomson time at one final run.

It’s unfortunate, because a win would have likely solidified Thomson as that No. 1 contender. Many fans believe he fulfilled that role anyway. But for now, Henderson’s victory leaves the lightweight field as convoluted as ever.

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Henderson vs. Thomson: Controversial Finish Leaves Questions About Scoring

Controversy is common for every sport. But when the outcome of a match in MMA is so widely disputed, it does a little more than raise some eyebrows about the scoring system itself.

The Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson headline fight in the UFC o…

Controversy is common for every sport. But when the outcome of a match in MMA is so widely disputed, it does a little more than raise some eyebrows about the scoring system itself.

The Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson headline fight in the UFC on Fox 10 finished after five close rounds with Henderson coming out on top by a final of 48-47, 47-48, 49-46. While some fans see the final as either a robbery for the former Strikeforce titleholder, others believed the match was simply closer than the final score would make some believe.

As for UFC president Dana White, he didn’t hold any punches about his thoughts on the scoring in an interview with Fox Sports:

Elias Cepeda of Yahoo! Sports provides some commentary on the finish:

Boos cascaded down into the Octagon as the decision was announced in the United Center. Josh Thomson shook Henderson’s hand immediately but then shook his head in disbelief as he walked out of the cage and back towards the locker room.

Whether fans stand on one side of the fence or the other, the results from the Saturday match leave a controversy that won’t soon go away for UFC.

Thomson looked like the better fighter in Rounds 1, 3 and 5, even after breaking his thumb early in the match, as he announced in the post-fight press conference. But the gritty performance wasn’t enough to pull out the win over Henderson.

Henderson’s win wasn’t the first controversial win for him in a close decision. In fact, he has a string of matches that have gone down to decisions, as ESPN Stats and Info points out:

The close wins are leading some to believe that he has another force helping him out, as the Twitter account Vendetta Fighter hinted at and was retweeted by Henderson:

The scoring system will never be perfect when it comes down to judges having to decide a victor, especially in a sport were so many factors have to be taken into account. But with the situation being what it is, Henderson might want to win a little more decisively if he plans to stay away from further debatable finishes.

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The Benson Henderson Problem


(Photo via Getty)

Benson “Smooth” Henderson is a talented fighter with a knack for winning the fights he loses. But on the oft-overlooked business side of MMA, Henderson is a dud.

As champion, he consistently failed to move the needle in terms of PPV buys and ratings. His rematch against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150 drew a paltry 190,000 buys—one of the worst buyrates in recent UFC history.

The UFC shipped Henderson off to FOX for his next two outings, presumably to build his name via fighting on a massive television network. Henderson headlined UFC on FOX 5 and UFC on FOX 7. They both earned modest numbers, with the former receiving an average of 3.41 million viewers (1.6 rating in the adult 18-49 demo) and the latter 3.3 million viewers (1.6 rating in the adult 18-49 demo).


(Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

Benson “Smooth” Henderson is a talented fighter with a knack for winning the fights he loses. But on the oft-overlooked business side of MMA, Henderson is a dud.

As champion, he consistently failed to move the needle in terms of PPV buys and ratings. His rematch against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150 drew a paltry 190,000 buys—one of the worst buyrates in recent UFC history.

The UFC shipped Henderson off to FOX for his next two outings, presumably to build his name via fighting on a massive television network. Henderson headlined UFC on FOX 5 and UFC on FOX 7. They both earned modest numbers, with the former receiving an average of 3.41 million viewers (1.6 rating in the adult 18-49 demo) and the latter 3.3 million viewers (1.6 rating in the adult 18-49 demo).

The exposure on FOX didn’t correlate into an increase in star power. Henderson remained a below-average PPV draw, with his fight against Anthony Pettis at UFC 164 garnering only 270,000 buys. After losing this fight, Henderson was sent to FOX yet again where he headlined UFC on FOX 10 opposite Josh Thomson. This was Henderson’s lowest-performing FOX card. Only 2.55 million viewers on average (1.1 rating in adult 18-49 demo) tuned in to this event. The live gate for this show was abysmal too. It was the lowest ever for a UFC card in Chicago and the second lowest for a FOX card. On the money side of the fight game, Henderson is anything but “smooth.”

What do you do with a fighter like him? He wins fights, but the decisions are so controversial they’re off-putting. His victories are rarely decisive and the bulk of fans refuse to pay to see him. The rest only watch him for free, but judging by the slump in viewership even those fans are losing interest.

Henderson is a promoter’s worst nightmare. He’s a decision-prone fighter who prizes points above punishment. He fights for the almighty decision, not for submissions or knockouts. Dana White himself noted this recently. He’s an anchor on the division—a perennially victorious athlete who nobody wants to see yet is too high profile to just be buried on prelims like Jon Fitch was back in the day. What if Henderson wins his next fight? Do you give him yet another rematch against Pettis? Or do you keep pairing him off with contenders until he loses? It’s a conundrum.

Benson Henderson is a competitor, not a fighter. That’s fine so long as you draw money and entertain the masses, but Henderson has never done either in the UFC. His style isn’t conducive to converting casual FOX viewers into hardcore MMA fans—fans who purchase PPVs and subscribe to the UFC Fight Pass. Yet there he was in all his banality, presented in the main event of a FOX card for all to see…and for all to loathe, malign, and ultimately forget about.

UFC Champ Anthony Pettis ‘Not Impressed’ with Bendo’s Win over Josh Thomson

Many fighters were less than thrilled to see former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson be awarded another close split decision against Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 10. 
Not surprisingly, old “Bendo” rival and current UFC 155-pound top…

Many fighters were less than thrilled to see former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson be awarded another close split decision against Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 10. 

Not surprisingly, old “Bendo” rival and current UFC 155-pound top dog Anthony Pettis didn’t think much of Henderson winning another hotly-contested bout:

In case you’re new to the sport, back at UFC 63 in in September 2006, Georges St-Pierre entered the cage to congratulate then-welterweight champion Matt Hughes on his TKO win over BJ Penn. 

Despite the decisive victory, “Rush” told his rival that “I’m not impressed by your performance,” although he was glad Hughes won.

The French-Canadian superstar avenged a loss to Hughes from two years prior, capturing his first UFC title when he TKO’ed Hughes at UFC 65 in November 2006. 

As far as the current landscape of the UFC’s lightweight division goes, Pettis captured the UFC lightweight strap when he submitted Henderson with an armbar at UFC 164 in August.

The champ was expected to make his first title defense against Thomson at UFC on FOX 9 last month, but he withdrew from the bout due to a knee injury.

“The Punk” opted to stay active rather than waiting for Pettis to return, a move that has him debating if it’s time to call it a career, per MMA Fighting.  

This marks the second time in his last three fights that the American Kickboxing Academy standout lost a split decision to a top-five opponent, the other being when he lost to Gilbert Melendez in May 2012. 

Whether it was the right call or not, Henderson has now won eight of his past 10 fights, with both losses coming at the hands of Pettis. 

At the post-fight presser, UFC President Dana White said the victory wasn’t going to be enough to give Henderson a third bout with Pettis, also per MMA Fighting. 

 

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.

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And Now He’s (Possibly) Retired: Josh Thomson Says “This Might Be It” After Controversial Decision Loss


(Showboat all you like, Thomson, but God will still be on Bendo’s side come decision time. / Photo via Getty)

Josh Thomson is 35 and, if you ask us, should be coming off the biggest win in his career over Benson Henderson. But the UFC didn’t ask us, they asked three judges who gave the nod in UFC on FOX 10‘s main event to Henderson—a controversial decision which put many fans in a state of furious disbelief. Even UFC president Dana White disagreed, and even slighted Henderson’s fighting style.

Alas, a win—no matter how questionable—is still a win. Henderson will climb the ladder, while Thomson and the thumb he broke in the first round will fall down the chute. This is more than Thomson can seemingly bear.

“This might be it, man,” Thomson said at the post-fight press conference when asked about whether his time in MMA was almost over. The frustrations of fighting on the world’s largest stage spilled out of Thomson.


(Showboat all you like, Thomson, but God will still be on Bendo’s side come decision time. / Photo via Getty)

Josh Thomson is 35 and, if you ask us, should be coming off the biggest win in his career over Benson Henderson. But the UFC didn’t ask us, they asked three judges who gave the nod in UFC on FOX 10‘s main event to Henderson—a controversial decision which put many fans in a state of furious disbelief. Even UFC president Dana White disagreed, and even slighted Henderson’s fighting style.

Alas, a win—no matter how questionable—is still a win. Henderson will climb the ladder, while Thomson and the thumb he broke in the first round will fall down the chute. This is more than Thomson can seemingly bear.

“This might be it, man,” Thomson said at the post-fight press conference when asked about whether his time in MMA was almost over. The frustrations of fighting on the world’s largest stage spilled out of Thomson.

“You train this hard, for this long, for such a long camp, and I see my title shot just fucking disappearing, you know? Without getting emotional right now, it’s really irritating me.”

“I felt like I won. And I won with one hand. I beat the former UFC champion, who was a guy who’s been here for two years, and I beat him with one hand. That’s what I can’t stomach. I’m a better fighter, and that pisses me off.”

Nevertheless, Thomson said he would’ve contemplated retirement even if he had won.

“I’d still be in the same position…what’s the point of winning the title knowing that you’re not going to fight that much longer? I don’t want to do that to the UFC either. But like I said, I’ve got to sit down with them and just talk about the direction of how this all should go.”

Will retirement be a wise decision for Josh Thomson? It’s difficult to tell. At age 35, his time is definitely limited. However, as Thomson himself said, he took it to a former champ while basically one-handed. The 35-year-old that can do that might want to stick around for just a couple more years.