As a returning veteran for Garcia Promotions, Eric was last seen taking a decision against Team Tooke’s Justin Castillo at the last event.
This time around, Eric will once again be a fighting a Team Tooke fighter in the undefeated Levi West, a Golden Gloves boxer with a penchant for big talk and backing it up so far in the amateur MMA ranks here in Houston.
Will Thompson be able to silence his opponent? That remains to be seem but for now, here he is with his own pre-fight words before this Friday’s fight.
Eric, this is your first interview here with TXMMA.com. Can you give our readers a quick summary of who you are so they can get to know you a little better as a fighter?
Sure. I started training in MMA about three years ago. I started at Elite Martial Arts then went to Miletich Fighting Systems. When they broke up, I stayed with Sam (Hoger) for about a year before I stopped training for one reason or another. Then after a little while I hooked back up with one my frat buddies, Larry Hopkins. He introduced me to Tony and I’ve been at Silverback ever since.
How many fights do you have under your belt right now?
Why did you start in MMA to begin with?
It was because something tragic happened to me. My father died in 1997 and my mother died in 2005. I didn’t know to deal with the pain or whatever so I kept everything bottled in. That led to me doing drugs and not living correctly. But then I met this young man from church and he led me to Elite in order to get my life on the right path. When I got there, I started off with Muay Thai, then I started doing MMA Fundamentals, and eventually, Eric (Williams) signed me up for a fight.
What’s life been like for you since you replaced drugs with MMA and training?
It’s been pretty good! The Houston MMA scene is growing so I like the fact that people can start taking notice of me and I can try to make this a career. I’ve overcome a lot of obstacles so I’m going to stick with this dream to eventually make it and go pro. That’s the plan.
Your MMA debut at Cage Combat 3 went pretty well against Justin Castillo. Tell us about that fight.
It went very well. I studied his fight video and said I wasn’t going to make the same mistake that Zach Scalf did. But then as soon as the bell rung he missed a big high kick and I went in after him. As soon as he got the takedown I was like, “Oh crap, I’m in the same situation.” Luckily, Tony put me in the same difficult positions so I could learn how to get out of them. I was pretty comfortable when he was on top of me and I was able to end up using my jiu-jitsu.
What was the biggest lesson you took out of that fight?
You got a lot of boos before, during, and after that fight. This Friday, you’ll be fighting Justin’s teammate, Levi West. Are you expecting another hostile reception in Humble for this fight just like the last one?
No, I’m not expecting that at all. I think Levi’s fans are going to be supportive and for sure they’re going to stick to their #1 guy or whatever but I’m not expecting anything crazy. Last time, my fans were waiting to get in or whatever and some of Justin Castillo’s fans kept on bumping into them saying ugly things but I don’t think anybody’s going to do that this time. That was just a lot of drinking and some dumb stuff by a few people.
I actually met Justin at weigh-ins last time and I think he’s a very nice guy. We actually talked about careers because I’m going to school for the career he’s working in so we talked about that. I think he’s a nice family man and an all-around good guy.
What about your opponent this time around? What do you think of Levi West?
Now since I’ve watched his fights, it looks like he’s improved on his standup and on the ground as well. …But as a fighter, I think some people lose track of their humble beginnings… He’s a good fighter but as a person, he has poor sportsmanship. That’s my opinion.
Levi is known for being a good boxer. How do you plan on countering that or using your own strengths to win this fight?
Well, I know Levi is a good boxer and whatever but as far as me, in my last fight against Justin, I feel like I didn’t let my hands go at all. In this one, you’re going to see a lot more standup. That’s my strength so I’m ready for that too.
Do you have any last words for Levi West before Friday?
Yes. Try not to blink. It will be over soon enough.
What about everyone else? Anything else you’d like to say before the fight?
First of all, I’d like to thank Jehovah, God, for blessing me with the strength to train. I’ve stayed healthy and avoided serious injuries and he made that all possible. Then I’d like to thank my family, my church family at the Missionary Baptist Church, and everybody else that’s coming to support me. That’s about it.
We are committed to being the most comprehensive resource for combat sports in Texas. LIKE us on Facebook and stay up-to-date with in-depth coverage of our local, regional, and national scene. Thanks for supporting Texas MMA with TXMMA.com!
