Josh Thomson Says He’ll Fight Michael Chandler When He’s Ready

Josh Thomson spoke with MMAjunkie ahead of his fight with Patricky Friere at Bellator 172. Some highlights are below:

On fighting a lesser-known fighter: “I hate to say it, but I’m kind of the big man on campus when it comes to the show.It’s a (expletive) situation to be in…If I win, they’re not going to talk about it forever. If I lose, they’ll be like, ‘I remember all his great fights.’ These guys all want to have my name in their mouth to bring more attention to them.”

On a fight with Michael Chandler: “I just feel that, with Chandler, he needs to have a little more self-respect for the title. You worked hard for it, you earned it, you are the champion – stop calling people out, dude. Don’t worry, the cream will rise to the top, and I’ll get you when it’s your turn. I’ll fight him when I want to fight him. I know he’s the champion, but whenever I decide I want to fight him, I’ll fight him. He had his opportunity to fight me this fight, on the biggest fight in Bellator history, and he turned it down. So whenever the opportunity comes up again, I’ll see if I can pencil you in.”