Josh Thomson: After the Playboy Mansion Interview
By Dave Carpinello
After a night at the fabled Playboy Mansion involving Frank Shamrock commentating, bunnies in the press booth, a star-studded audience and the announcement of Strikeforce’s signing of Renato “Babalu” Sobral. I had a chance to follow up with Josh Thomson and ask him about his fight, Frank Shamrock and the overall experience of fighting at Hugh Hefner’s house.
PDG: Let’s talk about your victory last night.
Josh Thomson: It was a good fight but it’s nice to get it over with. I just wanted to get a feeling how the fight was going to be at the beginning. I came out with a different game plan for this fight. I wanted to stay to the outside but Adam Lynn punched straight into the clinch. I wanted to see how his strength was going to be but it turned out to be a boring fight until the knockout.
PDG: So would you say the fight went as you planned?
Josh Thomson: Yes once we got to the clinch I wanted to get the takedown. When I got the takedown he was trying to standup right away and that showed me that he had no interest in being on the ground. So I worked the legs and the body quite a bit. That enabled me to set up the knockout.
PDG: Before the fight I talked to you and you said that your only concern about facing Adam was that he was used to fighting heavier lightweights. Did he seem to be stronger?
Josh Thomson: It was fine as I am used to grappling in training with Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck who are very strong for their weight. I was still just trying to get a feeling for his strength.
PDG: Well congratulations on the victory. How was the rest of the event and atmosphere?
Josh Thomson: Laughs…. it was good. I didn’t get done with my fight until late and after all the post-fight interviews were done. It was about 12:30am PST when I got to socialize with the guests. By then it was about time to go.
PDG: Did you get a chance to see any of the other fights on the card?
Josh Thomson: I got to see the Gilbert Melendez fight but I missed the Eugene Jackson one. I thought that Gilbert fought a good smart fight after a long time off. After he knocked off the rust he dominated the fight. He did what he needed to do.
PDG: Last night during the broadcast on Yahoo sports, Frank Shamrock was commentating. When you entered the ring Frank said that you were “The first openly gay fighter in mixed martial arts”.
Josh Thomson: Yea I know I have been hearing about that. I think that my agent is in the process of hiring a lawyer to file a lawsuit against Frank for slander. We’ll see how that goes.
PDG: Well the two of you have gone back forth recently with the taunts. What lead to the dislike between the two of you?
Josh Thomson: Really it is the fact that he left our gym and the American Kickboxing Academy fighters didn’t go with Frank. So he got all butt-hurt about the situation. So he started taking credit for all the AKA fighters. Saying we were all trained by him when in fact we were not. Frank likes to think that he trained me and Mike Swick and all the other guys. He never rolled or worked with any of us guys. My trainer Javier brought him in to spar with me, which is no different than Gilbert Melendez coming in to spar with me. He came in and worked with me a couple days a week, that doesn’t mean he is my coach. He was my training partner. If frank wants to take credit for that then he is barking up the wrong tree. He was never my coach.
PDG: I have to be unbiased. If memory serves me right didn’t you wear a shirt to the ring in a past fight that was an insult to Frank?
Josh Thomson: (Laughs) Yea all of that came about after he left our gym and started making videos on YouTube about Phil “NY Badass” Baroni. I had commented on a couple of forums saying that I would give the advantage to Phil if he fought Frank. I wasn’t talking shit it was just that Phil had fought a higher level of competition recently than Frank had. After that his videos were posted making fun of me and Phil. That is how all of this started. Before that I never had anything against Frank.
PDG: Alright then let’s get back to the cage. How do you feel about Strikeforce’s new acquisition; Renato “Babalu” Sobral?
Josh Thomson: I think that it is great and that the UFC did us a favor. Strikeforce acquired one of the UFC’s best light heavyweights and he’ll be great for us.
PDG: Thanks once again for your time Josh and congrats on the victory last night.
Josh Thomson: I just wanted to say thanks for all the support out there and it was a pleasure to fight last night at the Playboy Mansion.
Post your comments directly below! You can also discuss the latest MMA & Video Game News in the PunchDrunkGamer Forums and don’t forget to Follow PDG on Twitter @PunchDrunkGamer and Like the PDG Official Facebook Page!
