Oli Thompson Eying Babilon MMA Gold
At age 44, many fighters have already hung up their gloves and retired from the sport. For Oli Thompson at the age of 44, it’s another opportunity to win championship gold. On August 09, 2024, at Babilon MMA 46, Thompson can defeat Marcin Sianos for the vacant heavyweight title. A veteran who has fought all over the world, Thompson has competed against the best heavyweights in every big organization ranging from the UFC to KSW.
Unconventional Road To MMA
Unlike most fighters, Thompson’s desire to join the world of mixed martial arts hit him on a plane ride home. “I became an MMA fighter on a plane home from West Virginia. I had been competing at World Strongest Man and decided I wanted a change, and I began soon after,” Thompson told MYMMANEWS. Thompson’s first Strongman competition came at the 2001 UK’s Strongest Man Qualifier. Taking this as a learning experience, Thompson would go on to qualify in 2003 and 2004, finishing third in 2004.
Transitioning from Strongman contests to MMA required much work. “I’ve got/had many coaches that I appreciate. Tolly Plested was the guy that introduced me to grappling. We were already good friends and he was so dedicated to learning and being the best he could be at BJJ. He always provided great coaching and some of the toughest rolls ever. Second, I just credit myself. I made sure this journey was successful and never doubted myself. Much of my training has been done solo and would not have been possible without my discipline,” stated Thompson.
Plested himself was a successful MMA fighter earning an 8-0 record with four KO/TKO wins and four submission wins. A BJJ blackbelt under Jose “Ze” Marcello, Plested is also a former no-gi world champion.
Early MMA Career
Thompson’s professional career began over 15 years ago when he earned a submission victory at ZT Fight Night 15 in April 2009. Thompson would start off his career 4-0 with four finishes before hitting a back-to-back losing streak. Not worried by the situation, Thompson would turn it around and win his next five including the UCMMA Heavyweight Championship, his first title as a pro. That fifth win would come in a title defense against Mark Potter, one of Thompson’s proudest MMA memories.
“I have many great memories from big shows and also a few terrible ones on bad shows. My win against Mark Potter early in my career was a proud one and underrated performance due to being on a smaller show than some other,” stated Thompson. The Potter defense would also earn Thompson a few fights under the UFC banner at UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann and UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera.
Competing Around the World and New Potential Gold
After his stint in the UFC, Thompson would go on to appear in several of the world’s largest organizations such as KSW, Bellator MMA, and BAMMA. With the Potter title defense one of Thompson’s proudest moments, his favorite moment came on New Year’s Eve 2015 when he defeated Fernando Rodrigues Junior for the IGF World GP 2015 and IGF Championship. This matchup took place in Tokyo under the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye banner.
2018-2022 would continue to be successful years for Thompson seeing him win the Road FC, Fight Night Exclusive, and Parus FC Heavyweight championships. The most spectacular being the FEN championship, knocking out Szymon Bajor in just 23 seconds of action. Bajor himself is a former world champion and currently ranked as KSW’s #2 contender for the championship.
In just a few short weeks, Thompson can add to his trophy case a Babilon MMA title. What can fans expect to see from the hall of famer worthy veteran? “A five-round title fight at Babilon; the usual power and explosive fighting style, but also a big gas tank for a long fight if needed. I’m coming off of a huge KO win over Oleinik and expect more of the same!” said Thompson.
