Dana White: Josh Thomson back in title fight with UFC on FOX 10 win
CHICAGO – The stakes officially are a little higher for Josh Thomson on Saturday night.
The UFC lightweight, who meets Benson Henderson in the main event of UFC on FOX 10, will get a title shot if he wins. He was supposed to have a crack at the belt in December before champ Anthony Pettis was sidelined with a knee injury and subsequent surgery.
But also in the mix is former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, White said. Still in the hunt, but perhaps on the outside looking in with a bit more work to do would be Henderson, who in August lost his title to Pettis.
“Here’s the reality: If Thomson wins, he’s the next in line,†UFC President Dana White on Thursday told a small group of reporters following a media event for at United Center in Chicago. “Obviously Ben Henderson just lost very decisively in his last fight with (Pettis). Should Benson Henderson win, we’ll see what’s up with Gil.â€
Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is in the process of working on a new contract with the UFC, and White said a recent meeting with the fighter seems to have things moving in the right direction.
“I met with (Melendez) the day before – it went well,†White said. “We like him. We’re working on re-signing the kid. We had a lot of contracts that needed to be re-upped, and we’re getting them all done now. We just re-signed Travis Browne, we just re-signed Dan Henderson, we just re-signed Tim Kennedy. And now we’ll get this Gil deal done and start working again and not doing deals every day.â€
Thomson (20-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Henderson (19-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) headline UFC on FOX 10 in a fight scheduled for five rounds. The card takes place at United Center and airs on FOX, FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Henderson had a seven-fight winning streak snapped with his loss to Pettis at UFC 164, a first-round armbar submission. It was his first loss in the UFC after seven straight decision wins, including title fights against Frankie Edgar twice, Nate Diaz and Melendez.
Thomson this past April became the first fighter to knock out Nate Diaz, stopping him with a head kick and follow-up punches. That was enough to earn him the shot at Pettis after just one fight back in the UFC after a run in Strikeforce that saw him fight Melendez for the title three times, going 2-1. But that title shot was put on hold with Pettis’ injury.
Melendez lost his title fight to Henderson this past April, but rebounded in October with a “Fight of the Year†candidate unanimous decision win over Diego Sanchez at UFC 166. The bout won “Fight of the Night†honors.
And while a Henderson win would knock Thomson back into the middle of the lightweight pack, White said no matter the outcome, Melendez has kept himself in a good spot.
“I think no matter what happens on Saturday, it’s not bad for him,†he said. “He’s one of the top three ranked (lightweights) in the world.â€
