Thomson ready to take on his friend
June 26th, 2008, 4:52 pm · Post a Comment · posted by CARLOS ARIAS
Mixed martial arts can be unique in many ways, but none more so than when friends or former training partners step into the cage to do battle against each other.
It's not the same as friends or former teammates going up against each other in baseball or basketball.
Baseball players aren't trying to knock each other unconscious.
Basketball players aren't trying to crank on a limb to enduce a submission.
Tennis players aren't trying to choke each other out on the court.
You play basketball, baseball, tennis or golf.
You don't play a fight. You fight.
Fighters can spend years training and preparing each other to win fights against other opponents. But there comes a point at the highest level of the sport where they will eventually have to fight each other if they want to prove who is the best in the world.
The goal of prizefighters is to win a championship belt and make the most money possible during their relatively short careers.
That will be the case when Josh "The Punk" Thomson challenges Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on HDNet from the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
Thomson and Melendez have spent years sparring and training together. They have become good friends and they will continue to be friends after their fight.
But make no mistake, they will be coming at each other harder than sworn enemies when the bell sounds to start the fight.
There will be no mystery or feeling out process. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses. They know the toughness, desire and drive that each possesses.
Thomson took some time out earlier this week for an interview with me. Here is what Thomson had to say:
On his showdown with Melendez:
"It's going to be good. I'm really glad it's here. It's going to be over with by Friday. I want to get it done and over with. You know, Gilbert and I call upon each other because we live close each other to help each other train. We didn't have anyone to really train with for this fight. You know, we had our normal guys. But both guys ... he has guys that are heavier than him and I have guys that are heavier than me. So we really don't have the guys that we should."
On going up against a guy that he is usually training and sparring with:
"You know, it's not really that hard. It's a business. We knew going in and training with each other that this fight was eventually going to end up happening. That's where we are, now.
"We both knew we were the top guys going in there (to Strikeforce). We both knew we'd eventually fight. We just been working hard ever since. We'll be buds in the end and props for doing that. We were hoping to put it off for as long as we could to build the hype around us fighting. We've done all we could. The promotion thought that it was time for us to fight, so we just took a step back from each other and making each other better."
On working with former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough to prepare for Melendez:
"You know, Razor is probably one of the best guys out there, right now, in his weight class in the 155-pound division. He proved that when he was holding the WEC belt. I think he has gotten a lot better since we fought (Note: Thomson won a unanimous decision over McCullough in 2002) and the outcome may not be what it was the last time we fought. It's nice to work with someone like him. He's really come through in the clinch helping me with some things here in San Jose. I've gone down there (to McCullough's H.B. Ultimate Training Center) a couple of times to seek his advice as well. You know, he is a top guy and I enjoy throwing myself around with somebody in my weight. I'm happy he is one of them."
On his physical status coming off shoulder surgery five months ago and a nine-month layoff since he was last in a fight:
"You know, the shoulder is OK. It's not as strong as I would like it to be. But you deal with it as a fighter and you move on. That's the best you can do.
"It's not 100 percent, but it's definitely good enough to go. It's too damn late now to pull out of the fight."
On the advantages and disadvantages of facing a fighter he knows so well:
"The advantages for the fans and for us is the feeling out process is over. It's time for us to kick each other and get paid for it now. That's the advantage of it.
"The disadvantage of this whole situation is we are both going to get hurt in this fight. It sucks that we're both in here fighting each other. I'm going to end up cut. He's going to end up cut. We're going to end up with bumps and bruises from damage done to our bodies. It's a shame we're doing it to each other, but you know what though, we do it all the time every day in training when we are training with each other and we weren't getting paid for it. Now, we're getting paid for it."
On the growth of Strikeforce:
"Yeah, I knew with the promotion and with the HP Pavilion being the venue that it is, probably one of the best venues I've ever stepped foot in, and I knew with the promoter (Scott Coker) being who he is and how he is, I kind of figured Strikeforce would eventually make it. I think we're on our way. It's not quite there, yet, but it's definitely on it's way."
On both fighters having so much experience at such a young age:
"I mean, we've fought the top guys and we know what to expect from each other."
On who will be the fan favorite in the arena for this fight:
"You know, it's going to be really hard to tell. Hopefully, I do because the fight is actually here in San Jose. He's from the Bay Area, but he's more from the San Francisco area. But we'll see what happens."
On where this fight stacks up among the top lightweights in the world:
"You know, I can honestly say I believe B.J. Penn is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world. Right now, he has proven that. But I can't say that Gilbert and I are very far behind. I don't think there is another lightweight out there that can compete with the two of us.
"I've said this before and I'll say it again, if any organization wants to send their lightweights over to Strikeforce and have them fight us, then bring them on. I'll take that all the way until some organization will take me up on that. You know, I don't think any of these organizations want to send their guys over to fight me and Gilbert."
On Strikeforce being willing to allow its fighters to fight for other organizations:
"Yeah, they have been allowing us to do it. That's what keeps making us better. He (Coker) allows us to keep getting better.
"It just goes to show that they are confident in our skills. That's what is great about our organization. They feel confident about us being as good as we are, which makes us feel better about ourselves as fighters."
