This Week’s MMA Birthdays: ‘The Punk’ Turns 35

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Former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson has spent much of the past decade as one of the world’s premier lightweights. On Sept. 21, “The Punk” will celebrate his 35th birthday.

Though injuries have often slowed his momentum and curbed some of his potential successes, Thomson has never suffered back-to-back losses and remains among MMA’s best fighters at 155 pounds. The American Kickboxing Academy export last appeared at UFC on Fox 7 in April, when he returned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship for the first time since 2004 and wiped out “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz with a head kick and follow-up punches at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Thomson, who wrestled collegiately at North Idaho College and holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has secured 14 of his 20 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Wins over onetime World Extreme Cagefighting champion “Razor” Rob McCullough, former Strikeforce titleholder Gilbert Melendez, the world-ranked Pat Healy and ex-EliteXC lightweight boss K.J. Noons anchor his resume.

Those in MMA celebrating a birthday the week covering Sept. 15-Sept. 21:

SEPT. 15

John Marsh (43)
Rick Hawn (37)
Sean McCorkle (37)
Jesse Gross (26)

SEPT. 17

Michael Guymon (39)
Denis Kang (36)
Scott Jorgensen (31)

SEPT. 18

Mike Pyle (38)
Abel Trujillo (30)

SEPT. 19

Heather Clark (33)
Matt Wiman (30)

SEPT. 20

Ryan Jensen (36)
Quinn Mulhern (36)
Eric Schafer (29)

SEPT. 21

Josh Thomson (35)

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