Josh Thomson has had a long and impressive career. He competed in the UFC from 2013 to 2015 where he competed against names like Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson.

He was in many wars throughout his long career through elite organizations including, Strikeforce, UFC, and Bellator. There was one fight, it appears, that changed things for Josh Thomson.

Josh Thomson discussed the topic on his podcast ‘Weighing In‘ with co-host John McCarthy.

Article Continues Below
Related MMA News
kyle snyder
Olympic Champion Kyle Snyder arrested in prostitution stingGarrett Kerman ·
Kasanganay Edwards prediction, Kasanganay Edwards odds, Kasanganay Edwards pick, Kasanganay Edwards, pfl world tournament odds
Impa Kasanganay vs. Fabian Edwards prediction, odds, pick for PFL World TournamentGarrett Kerman ·
Rabadanov Diakiese prediction, Rabadanov Diakiese odds, Rabadanov Diakiese pick, Rabadanov Diakiese, pfl world tournament odds
Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Marc Diakiese prediction, odds, pick for PFL World TournamentGarrett Kerman ·
Rosta Sy prediction, Rosta Sy odds, Rosta Sy pick, Rosta Sy, pfl world tournament odds
Dalton Rosta vs. Sadibou Sy prediction, odds, pick for PFL World TournamentGarrett Kerman ·
Burnell Wilson prediction, pfl odds
Mads Burnell vs. Jay Jay Wilson prediction, odds, pick for PFL World TournamentGarrett Kerman ·
Silveira Shipman prediction, Silveira Shipman odds, Silveira Shipman pick, Silveira Shipman, pfl world tournament odds
Josh Silveira vs. Mike Shipman prediction, odds, pick for PFL World TournamentGarrett Kerman ·

“My career changed after the Tony Ferguson fight,” Josh Thomson said on his podcast (transcription via Bloody Elbow.). “I didn’t like to be hit, I hated training, I didn’t like to be sparred. I didn’t want to be hit by anybody. It was one of those life-changing fights where in training, it was no longer fun anymore. And that’s hard for fighters to swallow.

They really believe they can keep doing what they were doing. And the reality had set in that I didn’t want to do it anymore. That I was, like, ‘Look, I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.’

Sure, I had a couple of wins after that, but they weren’t my performances. They weren’t my best performances. And also, throughout those performances, the whole time, I was thinking, ‘It’s not gonna take much to rock me, hurt me, whatever it was.’ And then I felt it and saw it in the Patricky fight.

He grazed me at the top of my head, not even with his fist. He grazed me with his forearm. And it sat me to my butt in the first round. And the second round came out, we clashed heads. I’d butted heads several times in several fights, never been dropped. Never been rocked. Sure, it was a quick jolt, like, ‘Oh that hurt.’ But then you got back to fighting.

The reality that set in that it was time. It only takes a fight like a Tony Ferguson fight to change your life. To change the way your career goes.”

Thomson would go on to sign with Bellator after that fight. He fought three times in the organization from 2015-2017.

He would earn finishes in his first two fights before taking almost two years off and returning against Patricky Freire. He would lose the fight by knockout and retire shortly after.