[RANK5=John Hyon Ko] Oli Thompson was recently signed to replace kickboxing legend Jerome Le Banner in ROAD FC's 2018 Openweight Grand Prix kicking off on May 12 in Beijing, China.

Although Thompson will be in action shortly, the journey getting back into mixed martial arts competition was outstretched and challenging.

The last time spectators saw him clash in a cage was at Bellator 172 in early 2017. After that, he had taken some K-1 bouts to keep food on the table yet his hunger for MMA was burning inside him the whole time.

He began 2018 with a deal with Fight Night Global and a spot on their 87th event in a light heavyweight contest but unforeseen circumstances have forced him to leave the promotion.

Looking for opportunity, the former IGF Openweight Champion saw security and legitimacy in ROAD Fighting Championship.

Now, Thompson will embark on his second Openweight Tournament at ROAD FC 47 against Chinese newcomer Chaolong Deng.

In this interview, Oli Thompson spoke with John Hyon Ko about his dealings with Fight Night Global, the other participants in ROAD FC's Openweight GP, not taking relative unknown Chaolong Deng lightly and more.

For the audio version of the interview CLICK HERE or go to iTunes.

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