Josh Thomson shares biggest issue with modern-day UFC, MMA fighters

In a lot of ways, look: Josh Thomson is just gettin’ to that stage of life.

Thomson turned 46 this past fall. There’s a stereotype that exists of the generation ahead complaining about the generation behind. And conversely, the younger generation is pigeon-holed as having it all figured out compared to the geezers before them.

Thomson just passed eight years since his final fight at Bellator 172. He’s now spent more time as an MMA analyst and in the broadcast booth since he retired than the average length of most MMA careers. Add to that a 16-year fighting career, a major-promotion title and more than 30 fights, and Thomson has enough bona fides, by far, to have some opinions.

When he sees the fighters coming up, there’s one thing that stands out to him.

“For me, it’s the entitlement,” Thomson recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s the entitlement of they ‘deserve’ more money. They ‘deserve’ things most of them haven’t really earned yet. They just feel it should be handed to them. I think everyone needs to earn it.”

Thomson started his pro career in 2001 and was in the UFC by his sixth fight. His disclosed pay for that bout, a first-round knockout of Gerald Strebendt, was $4,000 – $2,000 to show with a $2,000 win bonus.

Things have changed plenty in nearly a quarter-century, of course. Starting pay is four, five, six times higher than that now at the base level. But the internet was barely a thing when Thomson started – forget about social media.

Thomson wonders if the current generation could do more to not take for granted the luxuries they have now. And what’s worse, as an analyst he said he often sees fighters taking the safe and easy way out.

“Beyond me, the BJ Penns, the Randy Coutures, the Frank Shamrocks, all those guys laid the way, but they were getting paid peanuts,” Thomson said. “Now a lot of (fighters) just feel that they deserve it.

“It’s hard because I look at guys and I think to myself they could fight so much harder. They could leave it all out there. A lot of them are looking for ways out and sometimes are not fighting to their potential. That’s the hard part as a fighter is just knowing that they have it. I can’t say what it is.”

Check out Thomson’s full interview in the video above.