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Josh Thomson Knows This Is His One Shot at a UFC Title and He’s Not Wasting It

Late Wednesday night, UFC lightweight Josh Thomson started getting a huge influx of calls and text messages to his phone all with the same message—congratulations.
As it turns out, some of his friends and family heard the news before he even foun…

Late Wednesday night, UFC lightweight Josh Thomson started getting a huge influx of calls and text messages to his phone all with the same message—congratulations.

As it turns out, some of his friends and family heard the news before he even found out it was official that he would be receiving the next shot at the UFC lightweight title against Anthony Pettis at UFC on Fox 9 in December.

Thomson was as gracious as he could be receiving the words of encouragement, but in reality he knew that he had nothing to celebrate. Not yet anyways.

“It’s nice to know the UFC is giving me the opportunity to fight for their title, but the hard work is just getting started and the fight is the ultimate goal,” Thomson told Bleacher Report on Tuesday. “So it’s nice to know that everyone cares and is calling me telling me congratulations, but I haven’t won anything yet.”

Thomson is no stranger to being a champion, having held the Strikeforce lightweight strap in the past. He’s also been a top-10-level lightweight for the biggest part of the last decade, so he’s used to facing top competition.

This moment still feels special, however, because his latest run in the UFC is not his first. Thomson was part of the promotion when Dana White and the Fertitta brothers took over and started to revamp the once-destitute company. Part of the rebuilding plan involved focusing on the weight classes that were the strongest, and at the time there was no room for 155-pound fighters.

So Thomson and the rest of the division were jettisoned in 2004 until the promotion finally re-introduced the weight class almost two and a half years later. When he left the UFC the first time, Thomson was considered one of the top fighters in the world at lightweight, and now almost 10 years later he’s back at the top and finally getting a chance to compete for that elusive title.

“My honest to God opinion is if they hadn’t gotten rid of the weight class, I probably would have been champion a long time ago in the UFC,” Thomson said. “I feel like I’ve never not been a top lightweight, but injuries have barred me from being as active as I could have been in my career. This was an opportunity that was taken from me back in 2004 when the division wasn’t carrying its own weight. Now, this opportunity is presented to me and you can bet your ass I’m going to capitalize on it.”

The last time Thomson was at this stage in the UFC (where he could have been contending for a belt) he was 25 years old. Now on the cusp of his 35th birthday, the long-time American Kickboxing Academy lightweight is realistic about what this title shot means.

He knows that there is no tomorrow and there is no getting back to this spot again. Thomson looks at this as his one opportunity to shine, and there’s no going back now.

“There is nothing after this. This is it. I’m not 27. I’ll be 35 this weekend. This is it,” Thomson said. “If I lose this fight, the chances of me having time to come back and get another title shot are pretty slim and I know that. You can bet your ass I’m going to put everything into this. I only need to be that good for one night. I can get my ass kicked every single day in training but the only thing that matters is I have to be better than him in that one night.

“I just need to go out there and I need to be better than him that one night. I could go out and have the shi—iest camp in the world, but if I go out there and beat him on that night, that’s all that matters.”

It’s too early for Thomson to start breaking down Pettis in technical terms, although he’s watched plenty of his fights already. The only thing he’s willing to divulge right now is the fact that fans who buy tickets to their showdown on December 14 in Sacramento will get their money’s worth.

“Honestly, the fans are the ones getting the win in this one,” Thomson said. “The fans are going to get the best show of their lives. There’s no other way to describe this. It’s going to be nuts.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson Booked for UFC on FOX 9 Title Fight, With TJ Grant Still Sidelined Due to Concussion

(Strikeforce neva die. WEC neva die. UFC doing best it can, under circumstances. Images via Getty/FOX Sports)

In July, a concussion suffered in training robbed UFC lightweight contender TJ Grant of his title shot against Benson Henderson. Grant was expected to return to action at UFC on FOX 9 (December 14th, Sacramento) against new champion Anthony Pettis, but news broke last night that the Canadian fighter has still not been medically cleared to compete. As Grant wrote on twitter:

“Hey people. Quick update. Unfortunately I won’t be fighting Pettis on dec 14. I am still not yet 100% n can’t commit to fight. UFC is going with someone else instead. It sucks but it is the best for both myself and the UFC. Please don’t worry. Ill be back and if I gotta fight someone else to get back to where I wanna be then that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m not bitter. Thanks”

The promotion confirmed shortly afterward that Pettis will remain on the UFC on FOX 9 card, defending his belt against Josh Thomson. It’s a somewhat unexpected choice, as Thomson’s TKO of Nate Diaz at UFC on FOX 7 represented his first victory in 13 months. Still, his performance against Diaz was extraordinary (“bitch-ass lady sounds” notwithstanding), and The Punk’s epic battles against Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce always suggested that he might be a better fighter than rankings and records indicate.

(Strikeforce neva die. WEC neva die. UFC doing best it can, under circumstances. Images via Getty/FOX Sports)

Melendez is coming off a decision loss to Benson Henderson in April, and is already booked to fight Diego Sanchez next month. The only lightweight who might have a legitimate gripe about being passed over is Rafael Dos Anjos, who has won five straight fights in the UFC against increasingly nasty competition. But Thomson is a bigger name — and considering that he lives and trains in NorCal, where the event is taking place, the booking is a no-brainer. Plus, Pettis and Thomson have already talked shit at each other on twitter, so yeah, GRUDGE MATCH.

What do you think? Is Pettis vs. Thomson a more interesting title fight than Pettis vs. Grant? And does Thomson have a chance here?

Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson Booked for UFC on FOX 9 Headliner

It didn’t take Josh Thomson long to vault back to the top of the lightweight division. The former Strikeforce champion is now slated to fight Anthony “Showtime” Pettis in a lightweight title fight on December 14 at UFC on Fox 9.
The news was announced …

The news was announced immediately after news broke that Canadian grappler-turned-slugger TJ Grant is unable to fight Pettis on the date due to the same lingering concussion troubles that kept him out of a UFC 164 fight with then-champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson.

Pettis replaced Grant in that fight and won via first-round submission.

It’s an unfortunate turn for Grant, but is a massive opportunity for Thomson.

Thomson is one of the most enduring veterans of the lightweight division, who actually made his UFC debut at UFC 44, in the days before the post-BJ Penn collapse of 2004, which caused the division to be disbanded.

He joined Strikeforce shortly thereafter, where he would fight 13 times, racking up a 10-3 record (losing only to Gilbert Melendez and Clay Guida).

He rejoined the UFC after an eight-year hiatus and made the most of the opportunity by knocking out long-time contender Nate Diaz. He dominated the popular submission artist before scoring a fearsome knockout in Round 2. It was the first knockout loss of Diaz‘s career.

While he dropped a tight split decision to Gilbert Melendez before that at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier, few are questioning the legitimacy of Thomson’s title shot.

There are currently no other fights attached to UFC on Fox 9. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details on the card as they become available.

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MMA’s Best Brawls of All Time

The process of creating a mixed martial arts countdown is like writing a recognition speech; you will inevitably leave someone out and anger others. But after watching Leslie Smith and Jennifer Maia put on one of the finest brawls in MMA history this p…

Webster’s Dictionary simply defines “brawl” as “a rough or noisy fight or quarrel.” However, fans who have witnessed countless brawls know these fights are anything but simple. They are a primal explosion of hypnotizing violence, an hysterical hurricane of testosterone which permeates an adrenaline rush throughout a stadium or through a television. And what they lack in precise technical showmanship, they make up for with an indelible display of pure heart and courage.

Every fight fan has their favorite, so let’s see which ones made the countdown.

Begin Slideshow

Josh Thomson and Anthony Pettis Are Down to Fight, Just Waiting on the UFC Now

UFC lightweight contender Josh Thomson was hoping to score a fight against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis, and it appears he’s at least got part of the solution to make it happen. Thomson targeted Pettis for a fight because the two lightweights are…

UFC lightweight contender Josh Thomson was hoping to score a fight against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis, and it appears he’s at least got part of the solution to make it happen.

Thomson targeted Pettis for a fight because the two lightweights are currently near the top of the rankings and both coming off of wins.

In his return to the UFC in April, Thomson became the first fighter to finish Nate Diaz in the Octagon, as he won by knockout in the second round of their fight at UFC on Fox 7. Meanwhile, Pettis has won his last three fights in a row and holds the last win over current UFC champion Benson Henderson.

So last week while the festivities for UFC 162 were ongoing, he mentioned the possibility of facing Pettis later this year to matchmaker Joe Silva, and then by chance he happened to run into the former WEC champion.

“I brought it up to Joe Silva, and what’s funny is I ran into Pettis at the Mandalay Bay pool, and he walked right up to me and was like, ‘Hey, what’s up dude; are we fighting or what?’ and I said, ‘Hey, all I need you to do is sign on the line,'” Thomson revealed to Bleacher Report on Tuesday. “He’s like, ‘It sounds like a deal.’ I’d really like to try to get a fight with him late September, early October, maybe on Cain Velasquez’s card in Houston.”

The Houston card will be UFC 166 headlined by Thomson’s longtime teammate and current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez as he closes out his trilogy of fights against Junior dos Santos.

While the fight between Thomson and Pettis is still hypothetical for right now, the former Strikeforce champion believes it makes perfect sense for them to square off and the winner to receive the next shot at UFC gold.

“It just seems like the logical fight,” Thomson said. “I’m not the one that makes this call. It’s just funny; when I was with Strikeforce, all I heard people say was ‘I would love to see you fight Pettis.’ That was the biggest fight everybody wanted to see. Now, I’m in this situation that I’m in where I’m coming off a big win over Nate Diaz. Pettis was slated to be the No. 1 contender against Aldo, and now he’s basically at 55 again. I feel like I’m the No. 1 contender, he feels like he’s the No. 1 contender, and I feel like we’re both right there.”

The other key factor for Thomson is that he doesn’t want to sit around and wait for another opportunity when this one is sitting right in front of his face. The UFC lightweight title will next be defended on August 31 at UFC 164, and Thomson knows that if he can fight Pettis by October, then the timing will be perfect for the winner to get the next shot at the champion.

“I definitely don’t want to sit on the sideline and wait for a title shot. That’s not even an option for me,” Thomson commented. “I feel like I need to get that one big win, and he’s that one big win I need. He needs that one big win to kind of showcase that he hasn’t been gone for that year and people forgot who he was, and it’s a great fight.”

Pettis has been in the middle of bad circumstances since the first day he arrived in the UFC back in 2011. Following his win over Henderson to close the doors on the WEC, he was supposed to face the winner of then-champion Frankie Edgar and top contender Gray Maynard.

Unfortunately, they fought to a draw and had to rematch in October of that year, which meant Pettis would have sat out for all of 2011 if he waited. So instead, he took a fight against Clay Guida, and it didn’t go his way.

So Pettis battled back and after a win over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in January, he appeared on the precipice of a title shot again, but Henderson was already matched up for an April showdown against former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

Now months later, Pettis still sits without a title shot, and waiting has just never been his game. Thomson hopes that bodes well for his chance to get the fight with Pettis, and then the two can clash later this year with a title fight looming overhead for the winner.

For Thomson, this isn’t some made up personal issue he has with Pettis—it’s just about the fastest track to a title shot, and he knows this is the way to get it.

“There is no personal beef whatsoever. Like I said, if he doesn’t sign on the line, there might be a little personal beef. You can’t poke me at the pool and say ‘are we fighting or what?’ and then turn around and not fight me. I understand at the end of the day it’s not our call,” Thomson said. “I think if both guys are willing to get after it and neither one of us wants to sit on the sidelines, late September, early October makes sense. (Benson) Henderson and T.J. Grant fight at the end of August, and that puts us about a month, month-and-a-half from our fight, and that gives us time to get ready and possibly fight at the beginning of the following year.”

The two lightweights even exchanged a little banter on Twitter on Tuesday with Pettis offering up the same October date in Houston for their possible fight.

Now it all lies in the hands of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva whether or not he’ll pull the trigger and make Thomson vs. Pettis a reality.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Josh Thomson Calls out Anthony Pettis for Next Fight

Josh Thomson is back in the UFC, and he’s on the quest for a title shot.After nine years of competing outside the Octagon, “The Punk” made a triumphant return to the sport’s biggest stage at UFC on Fox 7 in April. The AKA staple scored a second-round k…

Josh Thomson is back in the UFC, and he’s on the quest for a title shot.

After nine years of competing outside the Octagon, “The Punk” made a triumphant return to the sport’s biggest stage at UFC on Fox 7 in April. The AKA staple scored a second-round knockout over former title challenger Nate Diaz in San Jose, and the victory immediately launched the former Strikeforce champion into the upper tier of the ultra-competitive lightweight division.

Nevertheless, at the current time, the 155-pound weight class is going through a bit of a chaotic period. Outside of the upcoming title tilt between champion Benson Henderson and T.J. Grant, the road to contention is wide open for the taking, and Thomson is looking to get on the fastest track possible.

On Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas at UFC’s Community Day event, the 34-year-old Californian made it absolutely clear who he wants to fight next.

“I’ve asked the UFC for the quickest possible path to the title,” Thomson told Bleacher Report. “I beat Nate [Diaz] and now the only logical fight would be Anthony Pettis. He made the drop to 145 and now he’s apparently injured. I won’t be ready until late September or early October. Benson and T.J. fight in August. The timelines add up, and it just makes for a great fight.

“The way I see, Pettis passed on the chance to fight for the lightweight title to take a shot at featherweight. That didn’t happen, and now he has to get in line. I’m standing between him and the title shot, and there is nobody else. I’m right here waiting for him. I think it’s time the UFC steps up and tells Pettis if he wants to fight for that title, he needs to go through Josh Thomson.

“I’m standing here in Las Vegas right now for the Fan Expo and I’m saying one thing,” Thomson added. “‘Pettis…let’s fight, man.”

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

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com