The mainstream growth of mixed martial arts has created a large class of forgotten fighters. Athletes that were at once considered among the best in their respective weight classes were eventually replaced by the fighters that happened to be in front of the cameras when the lights were at their brightest. Josh Thomson’s name may be found on this list, which includes the likes of Frank Shamrock, Takanori Gomi, and Fedor Emelianenko. However, at UFC on Fox 10 he has an opportunity to change his “forgotten” status against one of the toughest lightweights in the sport today.
In a matter of months Thomson went from having the chance to face UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis — in a fight that could have set him up as a candidate for the 2013 “Comeback Fighter of the Year” award — to facing “Smooth” Benson Henderson in a less-meaningful bout, yet one that many believe is a tougher matchup. But at 35 years of age, Thomson is facing a battle that has career-defining ramifications for him, even if much of the mainstream crowd that will watch this contest won’t know much about his past.
In 13 years of professional service, Thomson has accumulated a number of wins that today may not register to most modern MMA fans. He’s defeated fighters such as Rob McCullough, Hermes Franca, and Duane Ludwig before they were prominent names in the sport. His win over Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce lightweight title in 2008 is still the biggest victory of his career, but even that one flew under the radar at the time. However, his victory against Nate Diaz last April at UFC on Fox 7 was very unexpected, and quickly catapulted “The Punk” into a position to challenge for the title. However, an injury to Pettis canceled their UFC on Fox 9 bout, leading to this main event bout with Henderson being booked instead.
The reason why many are looking at this fight with Henderson as an uphill challenge for Thomson is that he’s facing a fighter that has many of the same strengths that he has. In recent times, Thomson has been known for his striking-heavy attack, but at one time he was more apt to use his wrestling first. In Henderson, he’s facing a fighter that seems to be more dynamic in both of those areas. Benson Henderson is also one of the bigger lightweights in the division, which plays directly into his “bully” style of fighting.
The current odds don’t lean favorably towards Thomson, but he’s pulled out victories (or created interesting fights) when placed in this situation before. With a win, Josh Thomson can solidify himself as the first lightweight contender to face Pettis when he comes back from his knee injury. And if he does so, he’s going to add another chapter to the story that he kicked into high gear at UFC on Fox 7. An exciting fight at UFC on Fox 10, capped off by a memorable win, can make “Josh Thomson” a popular search on YouTube and UFC Fight Pass, and extend his career longer than many experts anticipated.
• Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson
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UFC on Fox 10: Henderson vs. Thomson is due to take place on January 25, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
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