UFC: Josh Thomson Live Commentary on Diego Sanchez vs. Gilbert Melendez

For a long time now, fans have wondered what is on the minds of professional fighters as they watch their peers compete in the cage.
Case in point: Josh Thomson watching Diego Sanchez battling with Gilbert Melendez.
Of course, fans of the sport know th…

For a long time now, fans have wondered what is on the minds of professional fighters as they watch their peers compete in the cage.

Case in point: Josh Thomson watching Diego Sanchez battling with Gilbert Melendez.

Of course, fans of the sport know that Thomson and Melendez know each other very well. How could they not after battling each other three times for a total of 75 minutes on three different occasions? Their first bout saw Thompson victorious, while the following two fights saw Melendez emerge the victor.

But very rarely do we get this kind of insider’s view on a fight. We get commentaries in movies from the directors, producers and actors, but rarely do we see it in the combative sports, where the drama and the blood are real.

It’s a rare treat to see a fighter react to the action in the cage as a fan. It’s an even rarer prize to see the fan give us the learned perspective of an actual fighter.

In watching Thomson view the bout between Sanchez and Melendez, we see that all pulses are quickened by such high-action combat. Thomson’s appreciation for the efforts of both Sanchez and Melendez speaks volumes for the passion professional fighters have for their life’s vocation.

Of course, a fight like Sanchez vs. Melendez speaks for itself; it was an easy pick for Fight of the Year for 2013, given the desperation and drama displayed over the full three rounds.

But to see a fighter like Thomson enjoy it in much the same way as we, the casual fans do, is a rare treat.

Watch and enjoy; his is an expert’s perspective, after all.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 10: Josh Thomson on the Past, the Present and the Future

Over the past eight or nine months, UFC lightweight and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson has experienced a lot of exciting moments and one major low point.
Returning to the Octagon in April and putting on a gr…

Over the past eight or nine months, UFC lightweight and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson has experienced a lot of exciting moments and one major low point.

Returning to the Octagon in April and putting on a great display in front of a new era of UFC fans, who may have never had the opportunity to see him perform, is something Thomson will always be grateful for.

As his fight against former UFC lightweight Benson Henderson approaches, Thomson’s mind and body have been put to the test. He was set to become the first title defense for Anthony Pettis in the UFC on Fox 10 card main event, but unfortunately Pettis was injured forcing, the UFC to look elsewhere for an opponent for Thomson.

After the ups and downs of having a title bout against one of the most exciting fighters in MMA today taken away, Thomson takes on an equally, yet very different opponent in Henderson. All of this has left Thomson tired and searching for something to get his head where it needs to be come January 25.

“It’s been a long camp for me, I was probably about four or five weeks into the Pettis camp and the fight fell through, so I took a week off,” Thomson told Bleacher Report. “At that point I had no fight, but when I was in Vegas for the GSP-Johny Hendricks fight, Joe (Silva) called my manager Bob Cook and we were able to get the Henderson fight inked up. I jumped into a 10-week camp from there, so it’s been close to about 15 weeks of training.”

“My body is a little tired and basically I’m ready to fight. When you have such a long camp, it kind of takes the excitement out of the fight. I need to get rejuvenated for this fight mentally, it’s been a long camp and I’ve been a bit mentally fatigued. The lack of excitement for Henderson is kind of disappearing on me.”

What will it take to get that excitement back? Going into a bout against a former UFC lightweight champion, a fighter has to be on top of his game in all aspects. Henderson was the UFC lightweight champion for a reason; he can hold his own against anyone.

“As you rest your mental state gets a lot better,” offered Thomson. “You’re tired all of the time, when it’s this long of a camp, you’re like man, when is it (the fight) going to get here? The week off before the fight is when fighters mentally prepare. You get a lot of food in you, start feeling rejuvenated and start feeling feisty again.”

“This week I’m kind of dialing back my training a little and focusing on the things I need to do specifically. That would include sparring and grappling for five rounds. Then we’ll go over some technique and do a hard 25 minutes of cardio. We’re getting back to the bare minimum of the essentials I need to mentally prepare.”

Thomson explained in great detail how excited he was to face Pettis for the UFC title. After years of traveling around the world and fighting top opponents in many different organizations, Thomson’s career had come full circle. Then the phone rang, and the air came right out of his sails.

“I was on cloud nine when I was given the title shot,” Thomson said. “Losing it was more mental, I was super excited and amped up for the actual fight. I was like it’s finally here and not to take anything from Henderson as I’m sure he can understand about the first time you get an opportunity to fight for the title, and then it gets taken away, you’re like damn.”

“Everything else seems kind of vanilla after that, it seems bland and plain. I’ve got to step up for this fight and mentally prepare because it’s a huge fight. It will kind of solidify my number one contender spot after this win. I need to get really mentally prepared for this fight and make sure my focus is on going out there and getting the win.”

We’ve seen too many fighters awarded a title opportunity only to have it taken back because of an injury or because the UFC deems someone to be a better opponent in the Octagon and outside of it as well.

A win over Henderson should keep him atop the lightweight rankings, but nothing in MMA is ever guaranteed. The big question is when will Pettis be ready and whether or not Thomson would take another fight as opposed to waiting.

“Even though I am looking forward to fighting for the title, if Pettis isn’t going to be ready, I will have to fight someone else in the process,” stated the San Jose native. “We don’t make money unless we fight and being that it’s close towards the end of my career, it’s about making money and putting on good fights. If I am the number one contender, I just want to fight the top guys.”

“If that means fighting Gilbert Melendez again, I’ll fight him. If that means fighting TJ Grant or Rafael Dos Anjos while I wait for Pettis then that’s who I will have to fight. If the opportunity to fight Pettis is there, then of course I want to fight him for the UFC title.”

Despite losing the title shot and the switch in opponents, Thomson still has a lot to look forward to. He’s facing a former champion in his first fight back since losing the title, and he knows Henderson will be hungry for a win.

He is also in the main event of a huge UFC card on national television in front of the great fans in Chicago. Thomson has been in main events before, but this is a whole new level compared to the past.

“I’m definitely looking forward to fighting in that arena,” said an excited Thomson. “You have to think about all the stars that have played there. It’s just crazy, Jonathan Toews plays there right now, and he’s one of the best hockey players to walk the face of the earth. All the history that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen accomplished in that arena, it’s nuts when you think of all the history that’s been accomplished in that arena.”

“Of course I can’t wait to fight there in Chicago. Honestly, the most exciting thing is the main event status. I was watching the 49ers-Panthers game and to see my face up on the TV is kind of cool. Those are things you can look back on your career and think that you did something right. I’ve done something with my career. I’ve made it to the big time. It’s like a little icing on the cake, and it lets you know that all the things you did in life have really paid off.”

“I got my life on track, and I’m focused on the thing I want and that’s the UFC title. That’s the main thing that goes through my mind. There are billboards around the US and making the commercials for Fox. I would imagine 15-20 million people were watching that 49er game. To think that many people know who I am is pretty impressive.”

There is no doubt that Thomson’s popularity has soared since he came back to the UFC and knocked out Nate Diaz in the second round back in April on the UFC on Fox 7 card. A win over a high profile opponent on national TV will do that. Let’s not forget that Thomson is also one of the most active fighters on social media and takes time to interact with his fans any chance that he can get.

Some fighters enjoy the action in the cage, some enjoy training and bonding with their teammates and then some enjoy interacting with their fans. Thomson seems like the type of fighter who enjoys the whole package, but he also included another aspect of being a martial artist.

“There have been different phases throughout my career,” Thomson admitted. “In the beginning it was the fight and the excitement of walking in the arena knowing it was fight time. In the middle it was the traveling and having the opportunity to fight in all of the big organizations including Pride, Dream, Strikeforce and the UFC.”

“At that time I loved traveling and getting to see all of the beautiful places, that is something that I really enjoyed. Now, towards the end of my career it really is the fans. I look back and reflect on my career, on everything I’ve done, where I’ve been and where I’ve ended up. I had so much fun doing the Q&A for the UFC show in Sacramento.”

“It was amazing I got to meet all the kids and the fans. Before the Q&A, I walked up into the crowd and took pictures with everybody. Now that I’m getting older, I’m starting to appreciate all of the little things.”

Going from Strikeforce and having his fights televised on Showtime to the UFC and having his fights aired on FOX, Thomson hasn’t noticed a particular jump in the amount of fans that he has. There are other aspects from the fans that have caught his eye.

They seem to be more appreciative of who he is as a person and a fighter and respect what he brings to the Octagon. As his career continues and even after it ends, Thomson wants to be known for who he is as a competitor and who he is as a person.

“I have noticed that I’m getting a lot more support,” Thomson said. “Now that the UFC fans are becoming more familiar with me and they are able to recognize me as a top lightweight coming off of my last fight. The fans have let it be known that they like who I am and they like my style of fighting. My style of fighting changes from fight to fight.”

“A lot of the fans have sent me emails including one from a guy who is a huge Nate Diaz fan. He appreciated that fact that I handled myself with class and didn’t talk trash after I beat Nate. Those are things that I want, when people ask what I want to leave behind as my legacy, those are things that I want people to say about me. Even when I won I was classy and even after I lost to Gil Melendez both times I never had anything bad to say about the guy. That’s how I want to be remembered.”

While we’re on the subject of Melendez again, there is still some unfinished business between the two in some people’s eyes. Thomson won the first fight, but lost the subsequent two. The third fight was extremely close, and a lot of people felt Thomson won.

It has been almost two years since they last fought and neither fighter has changed much as far as their styles are concerned, but Thomson feels like he has grown up and has started using his head more.

“We’ve fought three times and a lot had changed from the first fight to the third fight,” the 35-year-old Thomson said. “Since the last time we fought I can’t say a whole lot has changed. I think I am fighting smarter and using my head more and you saw that in the Diaz fight. I didn’t fight a stupid fight, I fought a smart fight. I fought a smarter fight against Gil in the third fight as well, but I just came up short.”

“A lot of people had me winning that fight and I thought I did enough to win that fight, but the judges are the ones who count the most and they didn’t have me winning. That’s all that matters and it’s time to move on. If we end up fighting again it would be nice if it were a five round fight for the title. Right now we both have our hands full and I’m not going to look too far ahead to be honest.”

When he defeated Diaz, he became the only fighter to ever finish Diaz by KO/TKO. The rush of taking out one of the best fighters in the lightweight division must have felt unbelievable. That win also served as his first victory in the Octagon since he defeated Hermes Franca at UFC 46 in January of 2004. That is a span of over nine years and for Thomson the wait was worth it.

“It felt great, it felt good to be back in there and it felt like I never left,” The man they call the Punk said. “There’s been a void in my career since I left the UFC and I felt like my fight with Yves (Edwards at UFC 49) should’ve been for the title. I would’ve fought a different fight if it had been for the belt. I feel like I fought really arrogant and cocky in that fight.”

“I was trying to showboat too much and it cost me. I came back and took the fight with Nate and I made sure I didn’t fight that way. I played it over and over in my mind about fighting smart and being safe. I wanted to capitalize on the moments I was given and take advantage of them.”

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UFC on Fox 10: Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Benson Henderson is ready to begin his journey back to the 155-pound championship. He’ll get started at UFC on Fox 10, where Strikeforce veteran Josh Thomson will look to build his own case for a title shot with a win over the former champion.
Five mon…

Benson Henderson is ready to begin his journey back to the 155-pound championship. He’ll get started at UFC on Fox 10, where Strikeforce veteran Josh Thomson will look to build his own case for a title shot with a win over the former champion.

Five months ago, Henderson was only one win away from breaking the UFC record for consecutive lightweight title defenses. In an attempt to get that victory, “Smooth” was submitted by a familiar foe in Anthony Pettis, who also dethroned Henderson under the WEC banner.

A few months earlier, Thomson picked up an impressive victory over former title challenger Nate Diaz, who went the distance with Henderson at UFC on Fox 5. Becoming the first fighter to stop Diaz with strikes was enough to earn “The Punk” a matchup that could elevate him to No. 1 lightweight contender.

Will Henderson take an important step back toward reclaiming his belt, or can Thomson make a big move and earn a chance to claim the 155-pound strap?

As this pivotal lightweight bout approaches, here is closer look at how Henderson and Thomson match up against each other in all areas. 

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UFC on Fox 10: Josh Thomson Says Current Training Camp ‘Quite Possibly My Worst’

Honesty may not always be the best option. At least that may hold true if Josh Thomson loses his lightweight tilt with former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC on Fox 10.
Thomson recently gave some details to MMA Junkie about his cu…

Honesty may not always be the best option. At least that may hold true if Josh Thomson loses his lightweight tilt with former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC on Fox 10.

Thomson recently gave some details to MMA Junkie about his current training camp in the lead-up to the Henderson bout. Spoilers: It’s not good.

Falling into focus, falling out of focus, falling back into focus. This has quite possibly my worst camp ever in my whole career, but before people want to criticize and say I’m looking for a way out, you’ve got to remember, I said the same thing about the first time I fought Gilbert Melendez. That was the worst camp I had up until this time.

If you’ll recall, Roy Nelson recently said the same thing about his bout with Daniel “DC” Cormier. Nelson then went on to look absolutely terrible against Cormier.

Although the talent gap may not be as large as the one between Cormier and Nelson, nobody would want to have a bad camp in preparing to fight the second-best lightweight on the planet.

Yet that’s where Thomson finds himself heading into Chicago.

Thomson has had durability issues (in regards to injuries) in the past but is in prime position to reach a UFC title shot with only two fights in his Octagon return. He also has the reassurance of training with one of the best camps and groups of coaches at American Kickboxing Academy.

If Thomson wins, you can bet the UFC public relations machine will go into full overdrive in showing Thomson as a guy who overcame the odds. If Thomson loses, fans will be quick to point out the fact Thomson was already “making excuses” prior to the fight.

Even if it turns out to be Thomson making an excuse, I like that a fighter is being open and honest with fans. It’s a nice change from the politically correct mundane responses we’ve become accustomed to.

Despite the fact it’s not good for a fighter in terms of PR, I hope more competitors are just as honest in the future.

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UFC Stars Break Down What They Dread About Training Camp

Stepping into the Octagon on fight night is the moment when fighters finally get to show what they are made of. The cage door will close, the referee will step aside, and they will attempt to prove their superiority against the challenger standing acro…

Stepping into the Octagon on fight night is the moment when fighters finally get to show what they are made of. The cage door will close, the referee will step aside, and they will attempt to prove their superiority against the challenger standing across from them in the cage.

While the live-action world of a UFC fight allows fighters the opportunity to prove themselves , the rigorous process of preparation for that night goes largely unseen. Aside from the circumstantial short-notice bout, every fighter typically engages in a six- to eight-week training camp to prepare for the task at hand.

Once the bout agreement is signed, a fighter gets to look forward to three months of gym time while their coaches and teammates whip, twist and pound them into fighting shape. Where there are the occasional days off throughout the journey, the large majority of a fighter’s time is spent within the walls of the gym as they attempt to push themselves to new heights.

That said, all of this work is done so that when they step into the Octagon for the fight, they will be a new and improved version of the fighter they were the last time around. 

There is no doubt the glory of getting your hand raised at the end of the battle is what every fighter aspires to achieve, but the work on the road to reach that destination is nothing short of tedious. Bleacher Report caught up with a collection of UFC fighters to get their takes on what part of the training process they dread the most, and their answers provide an in-depth look at what they go through to prepare for battle.

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The Fighting Life: Josh Thomson Is Determined to Leave His Mark on the UFC

Josh Thomson won’t deny there is a chip on his shoulder. And it’s been there for quite some time.
The AKA staple and top-ranked lightweight has hovered in the conversation as one of the best 155-pound fighters in the world for the past decade. Yet, whe…

Josh Thomson won’t deny there is a chip on his shoulder. And it’s been there for quite some time.

The AKA staple and top-ranked lightweight has hovered in the conversation as one of the best 155-pound fighters in the world for the past decade. Yet, where his record and résumé reflect a body of work that commands respect, there is a subtle tell in the way he shifts slightly in his seat when the topic of his current situation comes up.

Make no mistake about it, the 35-year-old doesn’t flinch when the subject of his upcoming bout with Benson Henderson next month at UFC on Fox 10 is posed, nor does he hesitate to share his feelings on how a title shot against Anthony Pettis eluded him. Those questions he answers with a tempered measure of excitement and clear-eyed reasoning; in a manner an 11-year veteran of the fight game would. That said, when the finer details of the path he’s traveled for the past decade are put on the table, there is a different side of Thomson that comes to light. 

In a typical conversation with the former Strikeforce champion, a joke or levity is always at the ready, but when it comes time to focus on the steps taken to reach the point he now stands, a grittier side to the current contender breaks through. While he’s enjoyed success at a high rate and earned championship recognition along the way, Thomson pulls no punches when he explains the route he eventually had to travel wasn’t the one he would have chosen.

But he didn’t have a choice.

Back in 2004, an undefeated Thomson was making his name on the rocky landscape of a far from stable UFC. Despite the uncertainty of his surroundings, the San Jose-based fighter had collected two solid victories and was positioned to fight Yves Edwards at UFC 49. While there was no title on the line, Thomson believed they were the best two lightweights on the roster and in his mind, were setting the stage for the division’s future.

Little did he know that win, lose or draw, there would be no future for him or any other lightweight fighter under the UFC banner.

Thomson suffered a first-round knockout against Edwards and the aftermath was devastating. Where the loss was the first of his professional career, the organization decided to cancel its lightweight division entirely following the card. Bouncing back from a loss is one thing, but having the entire floor drop out from under you is an entirely different animal.

“Honestly, where I got the chip on my shoulder is from back when I was with the UFC the first time,” Thomson told Bleacher Report. “When I fought Yves Edwards, it was supposed to be for the title because I was the No. 1 fighter in the world at 155 pounds and he was No. 2. We had beat everyone else in the division and B.J. Penn had already gone up to 170.”

“When they made the decision to cancel the division, it showed they didn’t think they could piggyback that weight class off us. Whether they could afford to keep it or not, it just kind of put a bad taste in my mouth. Those are the old days, but it really bugged me because I felt like we had everything there to make the lightweight division successful and make it grow. And they didn’t feel that way. I had to leave and go to Pride, then after that it was Strikeforce, and jumping around like that will put a bad taste in your mouth.

“That right there will put a chip on your shoulder because the best promotion in the world doesn’t feel like you are good enough. That hurt and led me to make the decision that I had to make the most of my career. I’ve had some ups and downs in my career. There were guys I fought who I didn’t really take seriously. There were some fights I didn’t really train for the way I should have. You have those ups and downs but you grow with experience.”

“Especially now, at this point in my career and for the last three years, I’m motivated by the people I fight. Fighting Nate Diaz motivated me. Not only did I want to beat Nate, but it was my first fight back in the UFC. That is all the motivation you need. I wanted to show everyone who I am and what I’m capable of doing in this sport, and what better way to explode back onto the scene than beating Diaz the way I did? When I left the UFC, they were putting on five fights a year. Now, there are five fights a month.”

“The chip on my shoulder came from the past, but it’s kind of gone now,” he added. “I stamped my name and made a big return with the Diaz fight, and now it’s up to me to capitalize on it. I made a statement and showed that they should have never let me go and this was the reason why.

“The focus on this fight is to put on another exciting battle to show they missed out on 10 years of exciting fights because they could’ve had me, and I was sitting right in front of their face the entire time. That’s kind of what is on my mind at this point.”

If coming back to the biggest stage in mixed martial arts was something Thomson had marked in the back of his mind, he certainly made the most when the opportunity came to call. After defeating Nate Diaz in his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC on Fox 7 in April, the savvy veteran became the first fighter to ever stop the former title challenger with strikes, as he scored an impressive second-round stoppage over the Stockton representative.

The victory put a surge of momentum behind Thomson’s stock in the divisional picture, and he began to look for the quickest possible way to take things to the next level. During the fight week for UFC 162 and the UFC Fan Expo which accompanied it, the Californian took to calling out Anthony Pettis as the two fighters moved around the city for appearances and obligations. When both verbally agreed to take the fight, “Showtime” would soon be called up to replace an injured TJ Grant and fight champion Benson Henderson at UFC 164 in Las Vegas.

The Duke Roufus-trained fighter would go on to score a first-round submission victory and become the new holder of the lightweight strap, and Thomson would be forced to wait and see how things played out in the title picture. With Grant still suffering symptoms from the concussion he suffered in June, Thomson was tapped for a championship opportunity, and the showdown with Pettis was set for UFC on Fox 9 on Dec. 14 in Sacramento, Calif.

Nevertheless, the world of MMA is an unpredictable landscape, and the lightweight champion suffered damage to his knee as he began his training camp. The injury forced Pettis to the sidelines and put Thomson in a position where he had to make a decision. In a sport where title shots are precious, it’s not an uncommon thing to see a fighter wait for the champion to return. Yet, Thomson’s knew there was no guarantee the Milwaukee native would have a fast recovery and decided to keep things moving.

He accepted a bout with recently dethroned former champion Benson Henderson, and the two fighters will step in to handle business at UFC on Fox 10 in Chicago on Jan. 25. While there will not be a title on the line, Thomson very much believes there is enormous value in the fight.

“I want a shot at the title more than anything, but when they give you an opportunity to fight a guy like Benson, who just had the title and had it longer than Anthony Pettis currently has it, that was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up,” Thomson said. “I have a lot of respect for both guys and I didn’t come here just to fight anybody they put in front of me. I came to fight the best guys and Henderson is on that list.”

“When I came over from Strikeforce, I told Joe Silva I want to fight the best guys, and if I start losing that will dictate where I fall in the order of things. But I came over and had a big win over Nate [Diaz] and that put me in a great position.

“When Pettis pulled out of the fight, they were talking about matching me up with some guys I had never heard of and who weren’t in the rankings. I told them I would rather fight someone like [Rafael] dos Anjos, Benson Henderson or even Gilbert Melendez again. I didn’t care. They said give them a bit to talk to some guys, and a week went by and I didn’t hear anything.”

“I didn’t think that was a good thing, and then they called out Benson when I was in Las Vegas for UFC 167. I couldn’t turn that down. I asked for the best guys and that’s what I’m getting. I know the title is big, but I can’t have that in my mind right now. Pettis chose to pull out and sit on the sidelines. Benson chose to take the fight.”

“Pettis taking time off is putting a lot of guys in weird positions,” he added. “[TJ] Grant has been hurt, and it doesn’t look like he’s coming back anytime soon either. He’s saying six months, but I was originally told it was going to be 10 months. If that is the case, then you really don’t want another Dominick Cruz situation happening. There are no guarantees when you are dealing with knees and the fact that he kicks so much—that could potentially lead up to some problems.”

“It’s one of those situations where I could have possibly still been given a title shot against either Gilbert or TJ., but that opportunity wasn’t presented. I took the next best thing, and that is a fight against the guy who has held the belt for the past two-and-a-half years.” 

Where Thomson’s well-rounded skill set has put him at an advantage for the majority of his career, the upcoming bout with Henderson will present an interesting stylistic dilemma. The MMA Lab product is solid in every area of the game and both fighters have relied on similar strengths to find success in their respective careers.

Henderson has used a strong wrestling base and an endless gas tank to wear down the opposition, which is the same approach Thomson has used for the past decade. That said, Thomson’s striking game has been on a constant evolution, and his improvements in that regard have paid dividends inside the cage. Henderson is certainly adept on his feet as well, and Thomson believes their clash of unique styles will make for one the year’s best tilts at 155 pounds.

“I think we are mirror images of each other,” Thomson said. “He’s a little stronger in certain areas and I’m stronger in some of the areas he’s not. We may cancel each other out a bit, and it may turn into a chess match, but it’s going to be a fight. We both always come into fights in great shape. He knows I’m not going to get tired and I know he won’t get tired either. It’s going to be one of those fights where it comes down to which one of us puts their queen in the right spot to take the upper hand. It’s going to be a chess match.”

“I just have to go out there and get it. I didn’t come this far just to come up short. I’m going to go out there and leave it all in the cage. I have nothing to lose. I just turned 35 this year and I have everything to gain and nothing to lose in this fight. The pressure is not on me, and it’s just another fight.”

“We haven’t really sat down yet and figured out how we are going to beat him,” he added. “We are tough stylistic matchups for anyone we face, and it is going to be interesting to fight against someone who is so similar.

“People got on me when I said Pettis was an easier fight than Benson. I didn’t mean that beating Pettis would be easier as much as I did that stylistically Benson is a mess for anyone. He’s hard to prepare for. With Pettis, you can focus on a few areas where you can beat him in. I could just focus on those areas in my camp and be fine. But with Benson, it’s different.”

When Thomson steps into the cage to face Henderson under the lights of Chicago’s United Center, there will be plenty at stake. Where a victory will be absolutely necessary for him to hold onto his lightweight title dreams, fighting a former UFC champion will also provide Thomson the opportunity to prove he’s worth everything he believes himself to be.

Almost a decade has passed since his painful split with the UFC, and the road ahead is about leaving his mark on the sport. The road to that point will have come with both highs and lows, triumphs and defeats, but Thomson believes he’s taken valuable experience from the process. The only thing left to do now is go out there and win. While the task at hand will be a hefty one, Thomson has every intention to deliver and show fans he is—and always has been—one of the most exciting fighters on the planet.

“It feels good to be back in the UFC, and it’s been a long trip,” Thomson said. “I consider myself a very loyal person, and I have a lot of love for Scott Coker, Strikeforce and what we accomplished there. I’m so proud of the guys who have come over from Strikeforce. They are doing great in the UFC and I want to be the first guy to come over from Strikeforce and win a title. That is important to me.

“Hopefully that doesn’t get stunted here in January, but I just don’t foresee that happening. It’s going to be a great fight and that’s really what I’m focused on. Coming in, putting on a great show and making sure every fan that walks out of that building on fight night got what they paid for. That is how I’ve always catered my career.

“I’m 35 and this right now is about leaving my legacy and mark on the sport. If for no one else but myself. I’ve hit every promotion in the world, and when you bounce around from promotion to promotion the way I have, it’s hard to leave a legacy that people will remember. But I do want that, and this fight will definitely help in that regard. I want to be remembered as a guy who came out and put on exciting fights, and this fight is absolutely going to fit in that category.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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