The UFC Fight Night card scheduled for San Diego, Calif. on July 15 will feature a lightweight bout between rising star Tony Ferguson and veteran Josh Thomson.
Thomson was one of the long time stars under the old Strikeforce flag, and he is a veteran who wants to be in big fights for motivation and the payday. For this most recent UFC run, Thomson made his return with a high profile win over Nate Diaz, but he fought twice in 2014, going 0-2 as he lost a title bid against Benson Henderson and then tacked on a follow-up loss to Bobby Green.
Ferguson won Season 15 of the Ultimate Fighter, and he has gone 8-1 in the UFC. he is on a five-fight winning streak where he defeated veteran Gleison Tibau, taking him out in the first round with a rear naked choke. Though he has faced veteran fighters before, Thomson is closer to the top of his game than some of his previous competitors, and he definitely presents a step up in competition level for Ferguson.
Thomson has a pretty complete game, but it all starts on the feet for him, where he likes to be agressive and go at his opponents. Ferguson has flashed a lot of potential, but when he is at his best is when he is able to use his length to be “tricky”. This applies both to his unorthodox style on the feet and his ability to end fights with submissions. Ferguson does have wrestling in his arsenal, so as a wrestler finisher on the ground, he can be dangerous. On the feet, he may not like how it is going with Thomson and he may choose to take it to the ground.
Submitting a guy like Thomson would be a feather in his cap, but he may be best served by staying chest to chest and controlling first. If he can get Thomson down and apply ground-and-pound, he may be able to frustrate Thomson and force a mistake on the ground. It will come down to how motivated Thomson is for this one.
