Tag: Josh Thomson

Josh Thomson says Michael Chandler beating Conor McGregor won’t be impressive: ‘It’s not a high-level fight’

Josh Thomson doesn’t see beating Conor McGregor as an accomplishment for Michael Chandler.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] doesn’t see beating [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] as an accomplishment for [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].

Chandler is expected to welcome McGregor back to the UFC, possibly during International Fight Week. If McGregor does return on June 29, it will have been almost three years since he last fought – a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier where he broke his leg.

However, it’s not just the layoff that Thomson is concerned with. It’s what McGregor has been doing during his time away.

“When Nate Diaz did it (beat McGregor), it was special,” Thomson said on his Weighing In podcast. “We thought Conor was the man, and Nate did it coming in on what? Two weeks’ notice? That was amazing, and it was the way the fight played out.

“It was amazing because he got his ass kicked for the first round. He started coming on, and then in the second round, everything happened. But, if Chandler did it (beat McGregor), I don’t even think we would be impressed. You beat a dude that’s been doing movies and drinking and partying for three years.”

McGregor just wrapped up promoting the movie “Road House,” which was released March 21 on Prime Video. “The Notorious” has lost three of his past four fights, and hasn’t gotten his hand raised since knocking out the now retired Donald Cerrone in January 2020.

“Why are we giving credence to the victory over someone who is definitely been removed completely from training? (McGregor’s) not really training the way he was when he was fighting Dustin (Poirier), or when he was fighting Khabib (Nurmagomedov), or when he was fighting Eddie Alvarez and Jose Aldo. So why are we putting so much on this fight?

“I think it’s going to be a great fight. I think it’s going to be a fun fight. Someone’s is getting knocked the f*ck out. I’m not discrediting the fight at all in terms of the level of entertainment, but I don’t want to give it too much love and be like, ‘This is a high-level fight.’ No, it’s not. It’s not a high-level fight. We’re not getting the best Conor McGregor.”

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PFL vs. Bellator broadcast team set: Chael Sonnen, Josh Thomson, Jonathan Coachman, more

The PFL-Bellator era is upon us, and a new broadcast team has been revealed.

The upcoming PFL vs. Bellator: Champions event marks the start of a new era, which will come with a new broadcast team.

The event takes place Feb. 24 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+, DAZN, ESPNews).

Following PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, the promotion has crafted a team of analysts and commentators previously associated with each brand.

Tuesday, a promotion official informed MMA Junkie of the broadcast lineup, which can be seen below.

Josh Thomson, John McCarthy weigh in on Kayla Harrison’s UFC signing: ‘She went where the easier fights are’

Josh Thomson and John McCarthy don’t believe Kayla Harrison is chasing better competition by going to the UFC.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] and [autotag]John McCarthy[/autotag] don’t think [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is chasing better competition by going to the UFC.

After six years with PFL, Harrison opted to sign with the UFC. Harrison (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets former champion Holly Holm (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in a bantamweight bout April 13 at UFC 300 in Las Vegas.

With PFL acquiring Bellator late last year, a fight between two-time PFL champion Harrison and Bellator champ Cris Cyborg seemed closer than ever to materializing. PFL CEO Peter Murray said Harrison “chose not to” make the fight happen by signing with the UFC, and Thomson thinks it was a wise move.

“The talk that Amanda Nunes may come back, that is the biggest fight they can make in the 135-pound division,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “This picture is her standing next to Dustin Poirier at American Top Team as of yesterday. I think that she already looks like she started her weight cut. I think she had a good idea she was going to be making this weight cut for the last probably two or three months. Smart on her part to go where she wanted to go. I think she went where the easier fights are.”

McCarthy doesn’t fault Harrison for wanting to go to the UFC. He just disagrees with the notion that the move was based on her seeking the tougher fights.

“I don’t blame her for going to the UFC. I don’t blame her for saying how (she wants) to be part of that organization. It’s a phenomenal organization,” McCarthy said. “I understand why she feels like this is a good move for (her). It’s just after all the talk, it’s all about the competition. No, it’s not.”

Harrison will take on Holm looking for her second consecutive victory after she beat Aspen Ladd by unanimous decision in November at the PFL Championships event. That fight came after taking a full year off following her shocking upset loss to Larissa Pacheco in the 2022 women’s lightweight final.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

‘I’m not sold on Khamzat Chimaev’: Former UFC fighter, analyst explains why

Josh Thomson believes UFC standout Khamzat Chimaev has failed to live up to his hype.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] believes UFC standout [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] has failed to live up to his hype.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) burst onto the UFC scene in the summer of 2020 when he made a historic 10-day turnaround, picking up finishes of John Phillips and Rhys McKee in two different weight classes.

Unbeaten Chimaev is undoubtedly a big star, with his past three wins coming over former title challenger Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland and most recently ex-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at middleweight. But considering that Chimaev’s recent wins over Burns and Usman have been tightly contested, Thomson thinks his aura of invincibility has taken a hit.

“I said this the last time I saw him fight: I’m not sold on him yet,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “I’m not sold on Khamzat Chimaev. Everyone’s like, ‘You’re stupid, you’re being a hater.’ I’m like, ‘No, I don’t care what you guys say.’ I’ve been in the fight game a long, long time. Fighters come, fighters go. They explode onto the scene and guess what? Then they linger around for a little bit hoping to get back on track, and some of them never do, and some have a resurgence.

“Charles Oliveira is one of the guys that had a resurgence. A lot of guys before in the past never did. Melvin Guillard never did. He came on like fireworks and just kind of fizzled out and faded away, and I don’t even know where he’s at now. That’s no knock on him, That happens to a lot of fighters. I’m just using him as an example.”

Chimaev twice has been touted as the next title challenger at welterweight and middleweight, but neither came to fruition.

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Josh Thomson: Justin Gaethje ‘hardest fight’ for UFC champ Islam Makhachev right now

Josh Thomson explains why Justin Gaethje is the biggest threat to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] sees [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] as the biggest threat to UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) recently said he prefers a fresh matchup in Gaethje rather than have rematches with Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. Makhachev’s former American Kickboxing Academy teammate Thomson thinks “The Highlight” is currently his sternest test.

Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is coming off back-to-back wins over Rafael Fiziev and a head-kick knockout of Dustin Poirier to claim the “BMF” title at UFC 291.

“I believe right now out of all of them, the hardest fight for him is Justin Gaethje,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “You say no because of the wrestling, and I understand why you say no. But I say this: Islam has a tendency sometimes to stand in the pocket a little bit too long, and he can’t afford to do that with Justin, and his wrestling is not double-leg takedown wrestling.

“Justin’s not someone who sits in that clinch for too long. He’s good at breaking out of the clinch. He’s good at keeping you out of that clinch area and letting his hands go. Dirty boxing, uppercuts, he possesses the power to land the shot out of the break. He’s a dangerous fight for Islam, very dangerous.”

Thomson points to the success Gaethje had against Khabib Nurmagomedov in their 2020 title fight, where Gaethje won Round 1 on two of the judges’ scorecards by landing solid leg kicks and strikes. Nurmagomedov ended up slicing through Gaethje on the ground and submitting him in Round 2.

“I’m saying that we’ve seen Justin can take it. He can deliver it,” Thomson said. “His only weakness in this fight is that if his back hits the ground, it could be over quick. And I’m saying it will potentially hit there, but I say that if you’re going to look at who is the most dangerous fight for him, and we saw it with Khabib in the first round.

“Khabib took some big shots from Justin in that first round, and Khabib just walked him down. Islam’s not going to fight him that way. He can’t afford to fight him that way. He can’t afford to take the shot that Khabib took. He can’t, and he’s got to close that distance to get to that takedown.”

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Josh Thomson: Tony Ferguson’s ‘funkiness’ would give Conor McGregor a problem

Josh Thomson believes Tony Ferguson’s style would pose an issue for Conor McGregor if they fought.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]’s style would pose issues for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

Ferguson (25-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) has been linked to McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after claiming that he got the call to coach opposite McGregor on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Both Ferguson and McGregor are currently on losing skids, with “El Cucuy” dropping his past five in a row. But Thomson, who was sliced up in a unanimous decision loss to Ferguson in 2015, thinks one aspect of Ferguson’s game would give him a significant advantage over McGregor.

“I actually think Tony beats Conor, though,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “A lot of it comes down to the leg. He did slow down, Tony has slowed down also, but Tony’s funkiness will give Conor a little bit of a problem. The moving around, the switching the stance, the punches and kicks coming from different angles.”

He continued, “Conor McGregor in the clinch is not a great fighter. Tony in the clinch is a dirty dog. He will elbow the sh*t out of your face. He will knee you. He will try to shuck you down and guillotine you. He will do whatever he can in that clinch.”

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McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The gruesome injury, coupled with inactivity, has Thomson questioning which version of McGregor would show up against Ferguson.

“I’m gonna lean more towards Tony just because of the inactivity, how’s the leg,” Thomson said. “Conor’s coming off of two losses. He’s a very confidence-driven type fighter.”

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Josh Thomson: Beneil Dariush only one who has what it takes to beat Islam Makhachev

Bellator analyst and former fighter Josh Thomson sees only one contender who could give UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev a challenge.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] sees only one contender who could give UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] a challenge.

Thomson was a training partner of Makhachev’s at American Kickboxing Academy, so he’s more than familiar with his game. The former Strikeforce lightweight champ thinks Dariush’s well-rounded game could pose problems for Makhachev (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC), who has dominated opposition with his elite-level grappling.

Dariush (22-4-1 MMA, 16-4-1 UFC) currently is riding an eight-fight winning streak after he beat Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, but he won’t be next in line for a title shot.

“The only one would be Dariush – that’s it,” Thomson said on his Weighing In podcast. “He’s the only one that I think has the style to beat (Makhachev). He’s so unorthodox. He doesn’t fight like a normal fighter. You want to stand and trade with Islam? ‘I’ll take you down.’ You want to wrestle with me? ‘I’ll stuff your takedowns and force you to stand.’ Dariush doesn’t give a f*ck where you take the fight.

“He does it in a very wild, crazy way. You’re not expecting someone to go Granby roll right out of something into a leg lock into a sit-up and sweep. … He’s not trying to allow you to lock your hands around his body and get you taken down. If you do take him down, he’s going to Granby roll, and if he Granby rolls, he’s going to start fighting the hands. He’s going to give up position and he’s going to fight at a pace that Islam – I know he’s always in phenomenal shape, but he likes to slow it down.”

Instead of Dariush, the UFC opted to go with featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC), who will move up a weight class to challenge Makhachev in the UFC 284 main event Feb. 11 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.

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Josh Thomson: Khamzat Chimaev has ‘a lot of great gifts. Fight IQ is not one of them.’

Josh Thomson thinks Khamzat Chimaev needs to manage his energy in fights, or it will eventually cost him.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] needs to manage his energy, or it will eventually cost him.

Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) ran through Kevin Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 279 co-main event, scoring a first-round D’Arce choke submission at T-Mobile Arena.

“Borz” stormed out the gate, immediately shooting for a takedown. Holland proved to be scrappy and tough to keep down, but ultimately Chimaev overwhelmed him. While Thomson lauds Chimaev’s skills, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion thinks his style will eventually cause him to burn out.

”Chimaev used a lot of energy in those first initial takedowns,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “And even the commentary team was saying he’s breathing heavy. He’s one of those fighters that fights this way, and he’s gonna realize how like a Michael Chandler, you’re going to run into someone who can take everything you dish out. And what are you gonna do if you burn your gas, if you burn the candle on both ends?”

He continued, ”Chimaev is a good fighter. He’s got a lot of great gifts. Fight IQ is not one of them.”

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Thomson thinks Chimaev could run into some trouble against a fighter like former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, who is known for his cardio and pace.

“To me, one of those guys is Colby Covington,” Thomson said. “He’s not the greatest guy on the feet, but his striking works for him.”

He continued, “His style of standup, it looks horrible, but it works for him. And then you mix that with the ability to takedowns and stuff takedowns, and make you work, and his cardio – he’s kind of a bad matchup. He’s a bad matchup, I think, for Chimaev.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.

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Josh Thomson: Khamzat Chimaev has ‘a lot of great gifts. Fight IQ is not one of them.’

Josh Thomson thinks Khamzat Chimaev needs to manage his energy in fights, or it will eventually cost him.

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] needs to manage his energy, or it will eventually cost him.

Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) ran through Kevin Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 279 co-main event, scoring a first-round D’Arce choke submission at T-Mobile Arena.

“Borz” stormed out the gate, immediately shooting for a takedown. Holland proved to be scrappy and tough to keep down, but ultimately Chimaev overwhelmed him. While Thomson lauds Chimaev’s skills, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion thinks his style will eventually cause him to burn out.

”Chimaev used a lot of energy in those first initial takedowns,” Thomson said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “And even the commentary team was saying he’s breathing heavy. He’s one of those fighters that fights this way, and he’s gonna realize how like a Michael Chandler, you’re going to run into someone who can take everything you dish out. And what are you gonna do if you burn your gas, if you burn the candle on both ends?”

He continued, ”Chimaev is a good fighter. He’s got a lot of great gifts. Fight IQ is not one of them.”

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Thomson thinks Chimaev could run into some trouble against a fighter like former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, who is known for his cardio and pace.

“To me, one of those guys is Colby Covington,” Thomson said. “He’s not the greatest guy on the feet, but his striking works for him.”

He continued, “His style of standup, it looks horrible, but it works for him. And then you mix that with the ability to takedowns and stuff takedowns, and make you work, and his cardio – he’s kind of a bad matchup. He’s a bad matchup, I think, for Chimaev.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.

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Josh Thomson: Khamzat Chimaev will join me as only ones to knock out Nate Diaz

“The fact that I was the only guy to ever finish him, that’s short-lived.”

[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] holds a unique record, but he doesn’t see it lasting after UFC 279.

Thomson is the only man to finish the durable [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] by strikes. He stopped him with a head kick and flurry of punches in 2013. Since then, Diaz has suffered one more TKO loss, but it was due to a cut caused by Jorge Masvidal in their UFC 244 bout, when a cageside doctor intervened to stop the fight.

Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) meets unbeaten star [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in the UFC 279 main event Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Thomson thinks Chimaev will take him out on the ground.

“The fact that I was the only guy to ever finish him, that’s short-lived,” Thomson said on his show “Weighing In Xtra.” “That is going to be done. That’s going to be over. My claim to fame is done now, guys. The UFC knows what they’re doing. This happens all the time. When you’re on your way out, they give you the toughest, hardest fight they know stylistically it does not match with you.

“Chimaev is the worst matchup that he could potentially get. The reach – Chimaev is tall, long, lanky, all of those things. The wrestling, the strength – Nate Diaz is not strong. He does have power in his hands. He’ll be able to take Nate Diaz down at will. He’ll just dominate the top position. So I’m going to go with Chimaev, TKO.”

UFC 279 will mark the final fight of Diaz’s contract with the promotion. The Chimaev fight has been largely viewed as a mismatch by many, prompting the likes of current welterweight title challenger Leon Edwards and ex-UFC fighter Dan Hardy to speak up. But UFC president Dana White defended the matchup, claiming both parties wanted it and that Diaz wouldn’t have wanted to leave the promotion any other way.

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