Former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson recently shared his thoughts on the difference between his generation of fighters and the current flock of mixed martial artists. According to him, the most glaring contrast between the two generations is the importance current fighters give to money.
In fact, Thomson believes current-generation fighters to be entitled, arguing that they demand more than they have actually earned. This, he feels, causes many fighters to compete with less effort than they otherwise had they had the mentality his generation seems to have had.
He said as much in a recent interview with the MMA Junkie, expressing his disappointment in the younger generation of fighters when asked how they differ from his generation.
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"For me, it's the entitlement. It's the entitlement of they 'deserve' more money. They 'deserve' things most of them haven't really earned yet. They just feel like it should be handed to them. I think everyone needs to earn it. We literally, not just me, but I'm going to go beyond me too, the B.J. Penns, the Randy Coutures, the Frank Shamrocks, all those guys laid the way, but they were getting paid peanuts. Now a lot just feel that they deserve it."
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Check out Josh Thomson's thoughts on present-day MMA fighters (8:49):
He highlights examples like the great B.J. Penn and other MMA legends in Randy Couture, the oldest UFC champion in history, and inaugural UFC light heavyweight champion Frank Shamrock. He points out how little they were paid in comparison to the fighters of today.
Thomson's take, though, isn't a common one, as the UFC has drawn tremendous criticism for its controversial pay structure.
Josh Thomson had short stints in the UFC
Josh Thomson retired with a 22-9 (1) record. However, of the 32 fights he competed in, only seven were in the UFC. Moreover, they were divided into two separate runs. His first time in the promotion stretched from 2003 to 2004, which saw him go 2-1, losing to Yves Edwards in his then-final UFC bout.
Check out Josh Thomson's TKO of Nate Diaz:
He returned years later, in 2013. Unfortunately, his second UFC run was far less successful, as he went 1-3 in four fights, only beating Nate Diaz, whom he TKO'd with a memorable head kick. Every other fight, though, was a loss, including a particularly brutal beating against Tony Ferguson.
