The common goal among most up-and-coming regional (or international) mixed martial arts (MMA) prospects is to one day compete for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Other major promotions such as Bellator MMA, Professional Fighter’s Leagues, and ONE Championship are not far behind. Literally, countless prospects across the globe are all working toward the same career goal, making it difficult to stand out in the sea of competition. As often as possible, MMAmania.com will highlight a different combat sports prospect to keep your eyes on.

Isaac Thomson

Age: 23
Height: 5’11”
Weight class: Featherweight
Record: 8-2
Gym: Team Alpha Male

At just 23 years old, Australian-born Isaac Thomson is a featherweight prospect on the cusp of a UFC call-up, captivating fans with his skill and grit.

Thomson was born in Sydney, Australia, and began boxing with his father at age eight. His mother soon joined them, becoming a three-time Australian Muay Thai champion. By age nine, Thomson was already competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and karate, showcasing early talent. At 14, eager to transition to MMA but too young for professional fights in Australia, he traveled to California for a pankration bout.

While in California, Thomson trained at Team Alpha Male, the ideal environment to bolster his wrestling under the guidance of coach Urijah Faber. After a brief stint training in Miami, he permanently joined Team Alpha Male, honing his skills alongside elite fighters.

Thomson had his first amateur MMA fight at 16 in 2018, followed by another at 17. In 2020, at 18, he turned professional. Now 8-2 as a pro, securing fights remains his biggest challenge. His resume includes bouts against two fighters who have competed on Contender Series, with his two losses coming against them.

His 2021 defeat to Shaheen Santana, however, was widely criticized as a robbery, and because of that loss, he missed his spot on Season 8 of Contender Series.

“I got robbed so hard, man,” Thomson told MMAMania.com recently. “I beat the shit out of that guy with my striking. And he did nothing to me on the ground either. All he did was sit on my back and punch me in the back of the head. I hurt him every time I hit him. In the second round, I was on top of him on the ground. Third round, he was on my back for a minute. So for the rest of the four minutes, I was beating his ass, man. It was crazy.”

“That’s the thing about MMA, though, these judges are ruining careers, and like, holding back careers as well by giving out these bad decisions, man, it holds people back. And it definitely pushed me back a little bit,” Thomson added. “It was so annoying. I didn’t necessarily have to take that fight. I could have waited and jumped on Contender Series, but I don’t like staying still — So, you know, do you take the risk? I did, and I got the bad end of the stick.”

Thomson is riding a two-fight win streak since his last loss and even before that, holds a brutal knockout win over Lerryan Douglas, the current LFA champion, who is competing on this year’s Contender Series.

The 23-year-old is hoping to get a last-minute addition to Contender Series this year or, better yet, a spot on UFC Perth if the promotion needs someone, and there’s no doubt he’s talented enough to compete inside the Octagon.

He’s a very good technical striker who has come a long way with his wrestling in just five years, to the point that if he’s fighting a better striker, he’ll take his opponent down and just strangle them.

Simply put, Issac Thomson is a name that you will be seeing in the UFC sooner rather than later.

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