<! mediaid=3121897 Jeff Chiu, AP: img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="" alt="" />Josh Thomson struggled more than most MMA fans thought he'd have to against Pat Healy at Saturday night's Strikeforce card, but he eventually got Healy to tap out with a rear-naked choke with less than a minute remaining in the third round.
Thomson shot in for a takedown early on and showed that he wanted the fight on the ground, and once he got to the ground he quickly went for an arm bar that Healy barely managed to escape. Thomson then transitioned to a triangle choke, but Healy was able to get out of that, too. Healy then briefly got Thomson's back and wanted a rear-naked choke, but Thomson escaped from that and almost locked in a knee bar. It was a close first round, mostly on the ground, that Thomson deserved to win 10-9 based on superior grappling.
It was Healy who quickly took Thomson down early in the second round, and Healy who spent most of the round controlling Thomson from the top. Thomson seemed poised and never in much danger of being submitted, but he also wasn't able to do much of anything to Healy, who stayed in control of him and clearly won the second.
In the third round Healy and Thomson traded strikes standing up but didn't do much damage, but midway through the third they went to the ground and Thomson went to work, eventually getting Healy's back, sinking in a body triangle to control Healy, and finally finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke.
It was a solid showing for Healy, an experienced veteran who hasn't always been a great fighter at welterweight but looks big and strong at lightweight.But after struggling in the early going, it was a great finish for Thomson.
Thomson shot in for a takedown early on and showed that he wanted the fight on the ground, and once he got to the ground he quickly went for an arm bar that Healy barely managed to escape. Thomson then transitioned to a triangle choke, but Healy was able to get out of that, too. Healy then briefly got Thomson's back and wanted a rear-naked choke, but Thomson escaped from that and almost locked in a knee bar. It was a close first round, mostly on the ground, that Thomson deserved to win 10-9 based on superior grappling.
It was Healy who quickly took Thomson down early in the second round, and Healy who spent most of the round controlling Thomson from the top. Thomson seemed poised and never in much danger of being submitted, but he also wasn't able to do much of anything to Healy, who stayed in control of him and clearly won the second.
In the third round Healy and Thomson traded strikes standing up but didn't do much damage, but midway through the third they went to the ground and Thomson went to work, eventually getting Healy's back, sinking in a body triangle to control Healy, and finally finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke.
It was a solid showing for Healy, an experienced veteran who hasn't always been a great fighter at welterweight but looks big and strong at lightweight.But after struggling in the early going, it was a great finish for Thomson.
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