In a PunchDrunkGamer Exclusive, Dave Carpinello had a chance to talk with The Colossus/Mega Punk, James Thompson about his upcoming fight against Brett Rogers, training at Xtreme Couture, steroids, Kimbo Slice and the debut of Brock Lesnar.
PDG: Let's start with your training. What have been the advantages for you since you started training at Xtreme Couture?
James: The biggest difference has to be the size of the guys that I am able to train with now. I am able to spar several times a week with guys my size at Couture’s gym. The big guys that train here are more technically sound and experienced.
PDG: How much jui-jitsu have you been training since you got to Xtreme Couture?
James: I have been training a lot of jui-jitsu with my friend Jay White, he is an instructor to us and he is a big guy that I have been staying with here in Las Vegas. The people down here that I have been training with are very good in jui-jitsu.
PDG: What is your training schedule like; how many sessions and days per week? Who are your training partners?
James: Usually it is six days a week with two sessions per day. I am training very hard and I have one more week of intense training to get ready for the fight. To Train with I have got Jay White; I have got a really talented big guy named Mo, Soa Palelei and a lot of other great fighters that work out there. It is like a revolving door of talent at that gym. You never who you will find there………but they are usually very good.
PDG: What do you know of your opponent on Febuary 16th, Brett Rogers (5 wins – 0 losses)?
James: I know he is a big guy and that he has heavy hands. So I have to be careful, I know that much. I think I am the hardest guy that Brett has faced so far.
PDG: What are your strengths going into this fight?
James: My strengths are definitely experience and my training. I've been working a lot on my jui-jitsu and I have had a lot more fights on that stage.
PDG: Your fight is coming up in less than 2 weeks; what is your anticipation level like coming back to the states to fight for Elite XC?
James: It is a big fight for me, I am coming off of a bad loss at Cage Rage and nobody wants to be on the wrong end of a loss like that. Since then I have had four different fights cancel so I have been waiting a long time to fight again. Now I get the opportunity to fight in Elite XC and have my first fight in the states. It is really exciting for me and basically a fresh start for my career. So I am really looking forward to this and I can't wait for the day to get here.
PDG: I want to move to the MMA world in general. Being a former PRIDE superstar; what are your thoughts on the struggles that some PRIDE fighters have experienced since coming to the UFC?
James: I think a big part of it is the difference in the atmosphere between an arena in Japan and being in the US. The atmosphere in America is a lot different than that of fighting in Japan.
PDG: Do you mean the difference between the two crowds or the cultural differences of the fans?
James: I mean the Japanese fans are very respectful and knowledgeable and if you are fighting in Japan.........too be booed you almost have to be bad before the fight even starts. In America it is a lot more profane and the fans are a lot more vocal. Which is good and bad but if a lot of your fights were in Japan which was the stable for PRIDE, it can make a big difference.
PDG: What do you think about the change from Ring to Cage?
James: The cage definitely makes a difference. You can use the cage is a weapon, you can take your opponent into the cage and then take them down and use elbows to cause cuts and so it adds a whole different spin to the fight. That has a lot to do with it as well.
PDG: Recently, Dan Henderson said in an interview that a lot of PRIDE fighters were using steroids and specifically singled out Paulo Filho. Who is currently the 185lb champion for WEC.
James: Yeah, I mean there was no testing in PRIDE. So right there you have a way for more people to be using. All in all I think that people are always going to try to do something to get ahead in the sport. They would be doing that in any sport……... it is Human Nature. If they want to do that then it is up to them but they have to live with and suffer the consequences.
PDG: Just so that we can set the record straight. You have talked before about your pre-fight career in which you were pursuing a career in bodybuilding. You admitted that you took steroids back then but never since you have been a professional fighter.
James: Yes, it was something that I had experimented with when I was younger but I could not take the health risk. That is when I became an MMA fighter and not a bodybuilder.
PDG: So do you think that more fighters are using steroids or are more fighters just getting caught because of the advances in testing?
James: No one ever knows, the fact that there was no testing in PRIDE was one less deterrent. So maybe it is the same amount but they are no longer fighting for PRIDE. I would say it is about the same amount as always and that is the nature of the beast.
PDG: You have also said that at some point in time you would like to fight Kimbo Slice. What are your thoughts on the Street fighter turned MMA fighter that will be headlining the card on which you are fighting on?
James: Kimbo is an excellent story; watching him go from YouTube to the main event in Elite XC. He is getting a lot of attention and it is a good story. I am very interested to see him get tested in the cage. I was looking forward to his last fight to see how his progress was but the other guy did not show up to fight. Him fighting Tank Abbott should be a good fight and I am looking forward to it.
PDG: I think that was only the second time I have seen somebody tap out from getting almost punched.
James: Yeah, the thing is that I have respect for any fighter that is willing to get in there and fight. But I hate to see guys just tap out needlessly and Kimbo got in his head before the fight even started. He tapped before he even hit the ground.
PDG: Will you fight Kimbo some time down the road?
James: Yes, I want to fight him. There are a lot of good heavyweights out there and Elite XC is starting to bring a lot of them in. I think that Kimbo and I are both characters and that fight would be really good for the fans to see. So yeah I would love to get in there against Kimbo and see what happens.
PDG: Speaking of Elite XC; how are they treating you so far professionally?
James: This is going to be my first fight for them so I don't have a lot of experience with Elite XC but so far I have no complaints at all. They gave me a good deal and I am just excited to be a part of their organization.
PDG: That brings us to the other time. Brock Lesnar is making his UFC debut on Saturday against the former heavyweight champion Frank Mir. What are your thoughts on his upcoming fight?
James: I'm really excited to see what happens. Brock's story is similar to Kimbo's since he is coming from the WWE. Before that though he was a great amateur wrestler and people are excited to see what he can do. I have to wonder though if he bit off a little more than he can chew with an opponent like Frank Mir. It is going to be a very interesting fight but maybe Brock should have had it a few warm-up fights before this one. Especially going into what many will say is the main event of the card. There is going to be a lot of nerves involved so we will see how he does.
PDG: It seems almost as if Elite XC is slowly moving Kimbo up and the UFC is putting Brock right into the wolf's lair against a former champion.
James: Yeah, most the time that does not happen. If it did happen you were kind of mis-managed. I don't think that Kimbo is necessarily taking any easy fight because Tank has been training a lot more for this fight than he has in the past but Brock is showing a lot of confidence taking this fight and we will see if it pays off. That is what makes this fight so interesting.
PDG: Alright then, what are your picks for those two fights?
James: I am going to go with Kimbo, although Tank definitely has a puncher's chance. Even though tank has been training for this fight I still think that the younger and faster Kimbo will outlast him.
As for Brock-Mir...........you're going to make me pick this one? I would go for Mir. I think that being in the UFC for the first time, the nerves and not being in MMA for that long that Mir will catch him. The contrasting styles will be interesting but I have to go with Mir in this one.
PDG: James, it's been a pleasure. Is there anything else that you would like to tell your fans?
James: Thanks Dave, I want to thank all my fans and sponsors and tell them to watch in two weeks. I want to thank Elite XC, Xtreme Couture and definitely my War Wagon.
To Join the James Thompson War Wagon........
