Examining Josh Thomson’s Rehab Tour in Bellator
This Friday night Josh Thomson will face off against Pablo Villaseca in the main event of Bellator 147. The bout will mark the second time Thomson has fought in the round cage of Bellator. It is also only the second time in his career that he has faced fighters with a highest quarterly ranking above 100 in back-to-back fights.
The former Strikeforce champion is a heavy favorite against Villaseca. Thomson’s Chilean opponent is 10-1 as a professional, but his highest quarterly ranking for Fight Matrix is 266. Thomson’s previous opponent in Bellator, Mike Bronzoulis, has a highest quarterly ranking of 103. Based on strength of schedule, this fight appears to be less about competition and more about setting up Thomson to face one of Bellator’s handful of high-caliber combatants with some semblance of a win streak to his credit.
Looking at Thomson’s overall MMA resume further highlights the gap between he and Villaseca but could prove useful in predicting how Thomson stacks up with the rest of the Bellator lightweight division. Prior to joining Bellator, he spent the majority of his career in Strikeforce and the UFC. While both promotions experienced success until the UFC purchased their competitor, there was always a significant difference in match making style. Is the difference a fundamental difference in philosophy or dictated by access to highly ranked fighters? The answer is most likely both.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Monday, May 4th 2026: DEEP 131 Impact | |||
 [#2 SW] Sora Sugiyama | [#14 SW] Sukai China | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 12/14/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#7 SW] Haruo Ochi Last 5: - - W W W | Last Fight Date: 3/08/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Saturday, May 9th 2026: Combate Global 99 Mexico vs. USA 2 | |||
 [#9 W105] Janet Garcia |  [#13 W105] Melissa Gomez | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 2/26/2026 [Combate Global] Last Opponent: [NR] Flor Hernandez Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 11/30/2025 [Open Fight Latam] Last Opponent: [NR] Nicole Artaza Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| Saturday, June 27th 2026: Professional Fighters League PFL San Diego: McKee vs. Isbulaev | |||
| [#6 FW] A.J. McKee |  [#19 FW] Salamat Isbulaev | ||
|
| |||
| Last Fight Date: 3/20/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#28 FW] Adam Borics Last 5: W W L W W | Last Fight Date: 2/07/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#25 FW] Jesus Pinedo Last 5: W W W W W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#18 W125] |  Lucia Szabova | [#3 WW] |  Jack Della Maddalena | |
| [#1 MW] |  Khamzat Chimaev | [#12 FLW] | Steve Erceg | |
| [#1 WW] |  Islam Makhachev | [#130 HW] | Brando Pericic | |
| [#7 WW] |  Carlos Prates | [#3 LW] |  Arman Tsarukyan | |
| [#12 LW] | Beneil Dariush | [#187 LHW] | Kevin Christian |
Highlights: Floyd Mayweather’s boxing clinic vs. Andre Berto
Even though it’s a couple months old… better late than never. Here’s some of the best moments from Mayweather vs. Berto:
What´s a Few Molecules Between Friends? Another take on Nick Diaz and the NAC.
Nick Diaz uses marijuana. He tells everyone that will listen to him that he uses marijuana. He has a mild disability that marijuana helps him with. Never mind that pills are probably better for him, and who knows which is best for getting hit in the head. California and Nevada have very liberal medical marijuana use laws. The UFC formerly used the expensive test that was ungodly accurate. Under the former test Diaz could have easily passed the test pre-fight, then flunked the test post-fight. Heavy marijuana users tend to store marijuana metabolites in their fat cells, and sweat them back out under stressful situations. He claimed that he stopped using marijuana eight days before his fight. His score was so low that detection should have made someone´s momma proud. That is what got Diaz a one year suspension. After the UFC got wind of the facts, [from yours truly] they started using the cheaper, less accurate test. For some reason Diaz was tested three times for a later fight. This created conflicting evidence. Big surprise.
Marijuana metabolites have a half-life. The amount of metabolites in the blood diminishes on an exponential scale. That means that it goes away really fast. Again, Diaz had low scores. Diaz was his usual disrespectful self. As is also usual, men in a position to make discretionary decisions look for a way to abuse that power. So after collecting conflicting evidence, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspends Nick Diaz for five years. Both times he opted to hire in-your-face lawyers to advocate for him. Both lawyers caused long delays when they should have asked for justice tempered with mercy. Hotly contested cases have to be prepared for, and later appealed. His license to fight has been suspended since his last fight, Jan 31 2015.
Bang for Your Buck: UFC Fight Night 79
Ahh.. another Fight Pass event. And once again, what could have been a decent card (by Fight Pass standards, at least) got turned into a steaming pile of crap in the weeks preceding the fight, as one after another fighters dropped off the event for various reasons. First we lost the co-main of Mirko ‘Cro-Cop’ Filipovic vs Anthony Hamilton when Cro-Cop withdrew from the bout with simultaneous reasons of a nagging injury, a decision to retire from the sport, and a failed drug test for HGH. Then, Thiago Alves, who was scheduled to face Ben Henderson in the main event, also pulled out with an injury. As a result, the UFC reshuffled a few fights on the card, and were able to salvage the main event. As for the rest of this card, the most interesting thing about it is that there are now two Dong Hyun Kims on the UFC roster, in the same weight class. So try not to mix up the established welterweight ‘Stun Gun’ Kim with the debuting welterweight ‘Maestro’ Kim. All right, enough of this nonsence, let’s get on with it.
Main Event: [#16 WW] Ben Henderson vs [#21 WW] Jorge Masvidal
Worth: $10
Why: This is a fight that just a short while ago we might have seen in the lightweight division. Former 155 lbs champion Benson Henderson made a move to the welterweight division after two consecutive losses at lightweight, stepping up on short notice against Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60, and scored a late submission win after working through some difficulties in the early rounds. For a while Henderson was noncommittal on which weight class he will call home, but it seems that he has finally settled at 170, at least for the time being.
His opponent Jorge Masvidal has also fought at lightweight for most of his career, though he has had a few welterweight bouts on occasion. He too came out victorious in his first UFC fight at 170 lbs, knocking out Cezar ‘Mutante’ Ferreira in the first round. With both guys still near their prime, and ranked in the welterweight Top 20 (or close enough to it, in Masvidal’s case), the winner of this bout could earn a Top-10 ranking and make a run for title contendership in the wide open and ultra-competitive division.
FightMatrix Program: UFC Fight Night 79 – Henderson/Alves (11-28-2015)
Welterweight (170)
[#16] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) vs. [#21] Jorge Masvidal (29-9-0)
Ben Henderson is the All-Time #19 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Ben Henderson (1-2-0)
2015-02-14: W vs. [#72WW] Brandon Thatch (11-3-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:58 of round 4
2015-01-18: L vs. [#2LW/#10P4P] Donald Cerrone (28-6-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-08-23: L vs. [#1LW/#5DD/#7P4P] Rafael dos Anjos (24-7-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:31 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Jorge Masvidal (2-1-0)
2015-07-12: W vs. [#169WW] Cezar Ferreira (8-5-0) via KO (Elbows and Punches) in 4:22 of round 1
2015-04-04: L vs. [#10LW] Al Iaquinta (13-3-1) via SD (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#39LW] James Krause (22-7-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ben Henderson 287, Jorge Masvidal 139
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Ben Henderson leads 2-0
.
Welterweight (170)
[#10] Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1) vs. [#177] Dominic Waters (9-3-0)
Last 3 Fights: Dong Hyun Kim (2-1-0)
2015-05-23: W vs. [#48WW] Josh Burkman (27-12-0) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 2:13 of round 3
2014-08-23: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:01 of round 1
2014-03-01: W vs. [*] John Hathaway (17-2-0) via KO (Spinning Back Elbow) in 1:02 of round 3
Last 3 Fights: Dominic Waters (2-1-0)
2015-07-12: L vs. [#50WW] George Sullivan (17-4-0) via UD (29-27, 30-25, 29-28)
2015-03-21: W vs. [#649LW] Jack Montgomery (16-18-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:05 of round 1
2015-02-06: W vs. [#671WW] Mikey Gomez (17-12-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dong Hyun Kim 189, Dominic Waters 139
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Welterweight (170)
[*] Alberto Mina (11-0-0) vs. [#235] Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5-0)
Last 3 Fights: Alberto Mina (3-0-0)
2014-08-23: W vs. [#144WW] Shinsho Anzai (9-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:17 of round 1
2013-12-21: W vs. [#174WW] Glenn Sparv (12-3-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 2:44 of round 1
2011-08-07: W vs. [*] Boy Eggels (2-1-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 3:11 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Yoshihiro Akiyama (1-2-0)
2014-09-20: W vs. [#405WW] Amir Sadollah (6-5-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-02-26: L vs. [#14WW] Jake Shields (31-8-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-08-06: L vs. [#3MW] Vitor Belfort (25-11-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:52 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alberto Mina 462, Yoshihiro Akiyama 434
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal – Who’s Getting Paid?
UFC Fight Night 79 may look like a smaller MMA card at a glance, but the main event is a blockbuster affair with some high stakes. Former UFC and WEC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson returns in a violence-assured contest against dangerous fellow-veteran Jorge Masvidal, as both men look to put together the start of a winning streak in the welterweight division.
Things aren’t quite that simple for Henderson, though. Sure, he’s racking up money and climbing that UFC/Reebok tenure ladder. But “Bendo” is also intent on wrapping up his UFC contract for a run at the MMA free agency market. That’s unusual for an elite guy like Henderson, but let’s look deeper into the details as we dive into the previous UFC fighter salaries and last Reebok sponsorship payouts for the main card talent.
Note: Divisional rankings via Fight Matrix. UFC salaries and Reebok figures via MMA Payout and MMA Junkie.
Benson Henderson [#16 WW]
$48,000** [UFC Fight Night 59]
Jorge Masvidal [#21 WW]
$102,000 = $51,000/$51,000 + $10,000* [TUF 21 Finale]
Analysis: If the numbers look skewed here, it’s worth noting that Bendo was making $110,000 in “show money” at his peak as UFC Lightweight Champion. Since disclosed pay is all we have to judge by, it seems Henderson’s suffered through a heck of a pay cut, and that’s along with whatever damage the Reebok deal has already done.
If that’s the case, it’s no wonder Henderson is thinking of taking his talents to Bellator, or perhaps ONE Championship. Even past his prime, it’s fair to guess the former UFC/WEC titleholder would be a decent draw and betting favorite against non-UFC 155-ers or 170-pounders.
Bang for Your Buck: UFC Fight Night 78
Last week in Melbourne, Australia, Holly Holm scored a huge upset at UFC 193 when she knocked out the reigning women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, claiming the title with a head kick in the second round. This weekend we’re off to Monterrey, Mexico, for a rather pedestrian Fight Night event on Fox Sports 1. The original main event for this card pitted Kelvin Gastelum against Matt Brown; after Brown pulled out with an injury, Neil Magny once again stepped up as a short-notice replacement. The main card also features a flyweight matchup between Jussier da Silva and Henry Cejudo, which will most likely determine the next contender for Demetrious Johnson’s title. A couple of other so-so fights round out the main card, while the prelims – both the ones on Fox Sports 1 and the ones streamed on Fight Pass – don’t offer anything worth mentioning.
Main Event: [#13 MW] Kelvin Gastelum vs [#21 WW] Neil Magny
Worth: $10
Why: While I would have preferred to see the original matchup of Kelvin Gastelum vs Matt Brown (because who doesn’t love a Matt Brown fight?), the UFC managed to salvage the main event with a fight that’s almost as interesting. Thank Neil Magny, who is becoming the go-to guy for last minute replacements in the welterweight division. Magny did not start his UFC career on a high note, dropping 2 of his first 3 fights, but then went on an unlikely 7 win streak against gradually increasing level of competition. He then took a big step up against Demian Maia, and was dominated on the ground and eventually submitted by a superior grappler. Magny rebounded with a split decision win against Erick Silva and will now attempt to move further up the rankings against a highly touted prospect who is making his return to 170 lbs after a temporary exile from the division.
‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Season 17 middleweight winner Kelvin Gastelum looked like he was on a fast track to contendership, rattling off four straight wins since dropping to welterweight, but had trouble making weight in almost every fight. After badly missing weight for what could have been the #1 contender bout with Tyrone Woodley, and subsequently losing a split decision, Gastelum was banished back to middleweight, where he beat up a way over the hill Nate Marquadt. Somehow, Gastelum convinced Dana White to give him another chance to make 170. And so we end up with quite an interesting fight between two up-and-comers, the outcome of which will propel one of them into the upper echelon of the division. Assuming Kelvin makes weight, of course.
Help Wanted
Dear readers:
We are looking for someone to help us with direct marketing – in other words, selling advertisement space on FightMatrix.com to sports apparel & supplements manufacturers, or any other company that may be interested in reaching thousands of MMA fans who visit our site daily. This is a commission-based position: help us make money, and you will make some for yourself. No experience necessary – just internet access and ambition. If you think you have what it takes, email advertise@fightmatrix.com for more details.
We’re also always looking for volunteer bloggers – if you have an opinion on anything pertaining to MMA, boxing, or any other combat sports or martial arts, you can make it heard here. We’re in no position to pay for content, but this could be a great opportunity to get your name out there if you’re looking for a career in sports writing. Dallas Winston, a highly respected contributor to sites like Bloody Elbow and Cage Potato, got his start as a guest blogger for Fight Matrix. Do you want to be the next Dallas Winston? If so, please email the address above or just drop us a note in our forum!
Fight Matrix Program: UFC Fight Night 78 – Magny/Gastelum (11-21-2015)
Welterweight (170)
[#13MW] Kelvin Gastelum (11-1-0) vs. [#21] Neil Magny (16-4-0)
Last 3 Fights: Kelvin Gastelum (2-1-0)
2015-06-13: W vs. [#36MW] Nate Marquardt (33-15-2) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 5:00 of round 2
2015-01-31: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-11-15: W vs. [#23WW] Jake Ellenberger (30-10-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:46 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Neil Magny (2-1-0)
2015-08-23: W vs. [#26WW] Erick Silva (18-6-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
2015-08-01: L vs. [#7WW] Demian Maia (21-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:52 of round 2
2015-05-16: W vs. [#75WW] Hyun Gyu Lim (13-5-1) via TKO (Punches) in 1:24 of round 2
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kelvin Gastelum 161, Neil Magny 90
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Featherweight (145)
[#8] Ricardo Lamas (15-4-0) vs. [*] Diego Sanchez (25-7-0)
Ricardo Lamas is the All-Time #13 ranked Featherweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Ricardo Lamas (2-1-0)
2015-04-04: L vs. [#6FW] Chad Mendes (17-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:45 of round 1
2014-11-15: W vs. [#23FW] Dennis Bermudez (14-5-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:18 of round 1
2014-06-28: W vs. [#21FW] Hacran Dias (23-3-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Diego Sanchez (1-2-0)
2014-06-07: W vs. [#39LW] Ross Pearson (18-9-0) via SD (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
2014-03-15: L vs. [#13LW] Myles Jury (15-1-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-10-19: L vs. [#7LW] Gilbert Melendez (22-5-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ricardo Lamas 231, Diego Sanchez 532
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Lightweight (155)
[#45] Efrain Escudero (24-9-0) vs. [#73WW] Leandro Silva (18-2-1)
Last 3 Fights: Efrain Escudero (2-1-0)
2015-06-13: W vs. [#109LW] Drew Dober (15-7-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:54 of round 1
2015-02-14: W vs. [#430LW] Rodrigo Goiana de Lima (8-3-1) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-09-13: L vs. [#34LW] Leonardo Santos (14-3-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Leandro Silva (2-0-0, 1 NC)
2015-06-27: W vs. [#111WW] Lewis Gonzalez (10-2-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-03-21: NC vs. [#109LW] Drew Dober (15-7-0)
2014-11-08: W vs. [#328LW] Charlie Brenneman (19-8-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:15 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Efrain Escudero 161, Leandro Silva 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
.
Keep Reading
Current MMA Rankings Updated (11-15-2015)
Notable Info
- Holly Holm is now the top lady of the sport, tops in the Bantamweight, Pound-for-Pound and Division Point Dominance lists. Ronda falls to #2, #4 and #2 respectively on those lists. Unless I’m missing something, Holm is the first fighter in history to be (arguably) #1 in both boxing and MMA at any given point. Ronda should easily hold onto her #1 All-Time position, with Holly getting a huge boost from her last position at #75.
Bang for Your Buck: UFC 193
Less than five years ago, UFC president Dana White stated that “women will never fight in the UFC“. What a difference a few years makes. Today, the UFC has two (somewhat) thriving women’s divisions, and Ronda Rousey is arguably the biggest star of the promotion. And now we have our first Pay-Per-View card with two headlining matchups featuring the two women champions defending their titles. And despite both of these fights being major mismatches, and the fact that I’m still somewhat lukewarm on WMMA as a whole, I am very much looking forward to this card.
A couple of other oddities about UFC 193. First, I happened to give every fight on the main card the same valuation of $10. This was not intentional – I truly am more or less equally interested in all five PPV bouts. Second, this is the only card of the year where the cable-broadcast prelims received a negative net valuation. The fights slated to be of Fox Sports 1 are mostly stinkers, and the only interesting preliminary fight on the card is buried as the opening bout on the Fight Pass portion of the event.
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Main Event: (C) [#1 W135] Ronda Rousey vs [#8 W135] Holly Holm for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Worth: $10
Why: This fight is a huge mismatch, at least judging from what I’ve seen so far in Holly Holm’s two UFC fights. Despite Holm’s boxing credentials, she lacks knockout power in her punches, and failed to score a knockdown or even do any significant visible damage to her opponents. Most of the knockouts in her pre-UFC MMA career came from kicks, but she is unlikely to be throwing much of those given the threat of the takedown. And once Rousey gets this fight to the ground, it will be as good as over. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to another episode of the Ronda Rousey show. Rousey does something crazy in every fight, whether it’s submitting Cat Zingano with her signature armbar in 14 seconds, or knocking out Bethe Correia (who was supposed to have a striking advantage over Rousey) in 34. The likelihood of Holm winning this fight, or even lasting a round, is slim to none. The only real question is ‘how will Rousey dispatch of her opponent this time, and how quickly will she do it?’ The answer, in my opinion, is worth $10 to find out.