Thomson Not 100 Percent for Melendez
Brian Knapp Jun 25, 2008
Josh Thomson (Pictures) hears the questions about his
health and senses the doubt revolving around whether his body can
withstand a potential five-round battle with Strikeforce
lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (Pictures). Truth be told, he has his own
reservations.
Five months removed from shoulder surgery, Thomson will meet Melendez in the main event at Strikeforce's show this Friday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Even he questions the wisdom behind the matchup, which will pair the promotion's top 155-pound fighters for the first time.
"I was really hoping to avoid a fight with Gilbert my first fight
back," Thomson says. "Promotions make fights, and fighters have to
step up to take them. After eight or nine months off, I've got some
catching up to do. It would have been nice to get a warm-up fight
in."
Sixteen fights into his professional mixed martial arts career, Thomson (14-2) has begun to show signs of the wear and tear associated with spending nearly a decade in the sport. Punches, kicks and slams all have taken their toll. The 29-year-old underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum on Jan. 13, as doctors "scoped" his shoulder and left behind four quarter-inch-long scars that mark their work.
He endures exhausting rehabilitation on the shoulder twice a day every day, as he attempts to work the joint back into shape through electric stimulation, weight lifting and various strength and range-of-motion exercises.
"It sucks," Thomson says. "I'm still going through it."
All this comes in addition to the normal four to six hours he spends training at the American Kickboxing Academy on a daily basis. The injury has forced him to deal with the limited shelf life of most mixed martial artists.
"It gave me flashbacks," Thomson says. "I had a lot of injuries early in my career. I've been fighting for 10 years. I started thinking, ‘Is this just one injury that's going to lead to the next? Is this it for me?'"
Universally received as one of the world's top-10 lightweights, Melendez (14-1) presents a myriad of challenges for Thomson. The 26-year-old Cesar Gracie (Pictures) disciple brings to the cage a toxic blend of strength, stamina and athleticism and holds high-profile victories over Rumina Sato (Pictures), Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures), Clay Guida (Pictures) and Dream lightweight grand prix semifinalist Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures).
"He brings everything to the table," Thomson says. "He's got a big right hand, good wrestling and good ground-and-pound. He's a good athlete and a good person. He doesn't talk all that s--- other fighters talk, but if you make one mistake, he'll capitalize on it."
Thomson's longtime trainer, Bob Cook, admits to concern over his fighter's lengthy layoff and with how his surgically repaired shoulder will respond to the pace Melendez promises to push. Thompson has not competed since he stopped Adam Lynn (Pictures) on first-round strikes at the Playboy Mansion in September.
"That's not favorable," Cook says. "Ideally, you want to keep a fighter fighting every three months so no ring rust develops and they're used to being in the mix. But this is a big fight they've both wanted to do for a while. He's wanted another crack at that title for a long time."
Thomson, a man who has not been defeated in more than two years, thinks the pressure rests solely on Melendez's shoulders.
"To me, it's just another fight," he says. "I don't think I've been calmer for any fight in my career. I just woke up one day and thought, ‘Why am I stressing out? All the pressure's on him.' He's got the title. People are expecting him to beat me. If things aren't going well for him by the end of the first or second round, he's going to start doubting himself."
Thomson, who turns 30 in September, will carry a six-fight winning streak into the match with Melendez. He has dotted his resume with quality victories, from decision wins against former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholders "Razor" Rob McCullough (Pictures) and Hermes Franca (Pictures) to his submission win over decorated muay Thai practitioner Duane Ludwig (Pictures). Only Yves Edwards (Pictures) has been able to finish him, having done so with a head kick that still makes the rounds on UFC highlight reels.
Win or lose, Thomson feels at peace with what he has achieved since he made his professional debut back in 2001.
"I've pretty much accomplished everything I wanted to," Thomson says. "I've been able to make a living at something I enjoy. I don't need a gold belt strapped around my waist. I'm someone who's fine with leaving the sport at any time."
Five months removed from shoulder surgery, Thomson will meet Melendez in the main event at Strikeforce's show this Friday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Even he questions the wisdom behind the matchup, which will pair the promotion's top 155-pound fighters for the first time.
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Sixteen fights into his professional mixed martial arts career, Thomson (14-2) has begun to show signs of the wear and tear associated with spending nearly a decade in the sport. Punches, kicks and slams all have taken their toll. The 29-year-old underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum on Jan. 13, as doctors "scoped" his shoulder and left behind four quarter-inch-long scars that mark their work.
"They might as well have cut me open," Thomson says. "It's still
not 100 percent. I don't know that I'll ever be 100 percent, but
I've done as much as I could to get there."
He endures exhausting rehabilitation on the shoulder twice a day every day, as he attempts to work the joint back into shape through electric stimulation, weight lifting and various strength and range-of-motion exercises.
"It sucks," Thomson says. "I'm still going through it."
All this comes in addition to the normal four to six hours he spends training at the American Kickboxing Academy on a daily basis. The injury has forced him to deal with the limited shelf life of most mixed martial artists.
"It gave me flashbacks," Thomson says. "I had a lot of injuries early in my career. I've been fighting for 10 years. I started thinking, ‘Is this just one injury that's going to lead to the next? Is this it for me?'"
Universally received as one of the world's top-10 lightweights, Melendez (14-1) presents a myriad of challenges for Thomson. The 26-year-old Cesar Gracie (Pictures) disciple brings to the cage a toxic blend of strength, stamina and athleticism and holds high-profile victories over Rumina Sato (Pictures), Hiroyuki Takaya (Pictures), Clay Guida (Pictures) and Dream lightweight grand prix semifinalist Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures).
"He brings everything to the table," Thomson says. "He's got a big right hand, good wrestling and good ground-and-pound. He's a good athlete and a good person. He doesn't talk all that s--- other fighters talk, but if you make one mistake, he'll capitalize on it."
Thomson's longtime trainer, Bob Cook, admits to concern over his fighter's lengthy layoff and with how his surgically repaired shoulder will respond to the pace Melendez promises to push. Thompson has not competed since he stopped Adam Lynn (Pictures) on first-round strikes at the Playboy Mansion in September.
"That's not favorable," Cook says. "Ideally, you want to keep a fighter fighting every three months so no ring rust develops and they're used to being in the mix. But this is a big fight they've both wanted to do for a while. He's wanted another crack at that title for a long time."
Thomson, a man who has not been defeated in more than two years, thinks the pressure rests solely on Melendez's shoulders.
"To me, it's just another fight," he says. "I don't think I've been calmer for any fight in my career. I just woke up one day and thought, ‘Why am I stressing out? All the pressure's on him.' He's got the title. People are expecting him to beat me. If things aren't going well for him by the end of the first or second round, he's going to start doubting himself."
Thomson, who turns 30 in September, will carry a six-fight winning streak into the match with Melendez. He has dotted his resume with quality victories, from decision wins against former World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholders "Razor" Rob McCullough (Pictures) and Hermes Franca (Pictures) to his submission win over decorated muay Thai practitioner Duane Ludwig (Pictures). Only Yves Edwards (Pictures) has been able to finish him, having done so with a head kick that still makes the rounds on UFC highlight reels.
Win or lose, Thomson feels at peace with what he has achieved since he made his professional debut back in 2001.
"I've pretty much accomplished everything I wanted to," Thomson says. "I've been able to make a living at something I enjoy. I don't need a gold belt strapped around my waist. I'm someone who's fine with leaving the sport at any time."
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