Jump to content

Luke Thomas (journalist)

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Archer1234 (talk | contribs) at 15:05, 12 April 2024 (Rescuing 65 sources and tagging 0 as dead.) #IABot (v2.0.9.5). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Luke Thomas
Born (1979-08-05) August 5, 1979 (age 45)
Republic of India
Allegiance United States of America
Service / branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service1998–2005
Rank Sergeant
Unit
NationalityAmerican
OccupationCombat sports journalist for CBS Sports & Showtime
Years active2006–present
Children1

Luke Thomas (born August 5, 1979[1]) is an American combat sport analyst.[2][3] As of October 2020, Thomas works for CBS Sports.

Between 2007 and 2019 Thomas worked as an MMA journalist[4][5][6][7] and radio host.[8][9][10]

Early life

Thomas was born in 1979[1] in the Republic of India,[11][12] to an American foreign service officer father and a Syrian of Armenian descent mother who lived in Lebanon.[13][14][15][16] Thomas mostly grew up in Washington, D.C., but lived in Marietta, Georgia for two years, graduating from Marietta High School.[17][18] He graduated from The College of William & Mary.[2] Between 1998 and 2005[19] he served in Battery H of the 3rd Battalion 14th Marines in Richmond, Virginia,[17] reaching the rank of sergeant.[2]

While in college he started training in Judo, and while serving in the military he participated in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.[20]

Career

Thomas has been dedicatedly following mixed martial arts since 2004.[17]

Between February 2006[21] and May 2007[22] (inactive between July 2006 and March 2007[23]) Thomas founded and wrote commentary on his MMA dedicated blog Mad-Squabbles.com,[22][24][25][26] with his online identity known as Mad Squabbles.[27][28] In March 2007 the popular MMA website Fightopinion.com began promoting his articles.[29][30] Fightlinker.com described the blog: "probably the best blog i’ve seen pop up in the past six months. Definately [sic] worth bookmarking and visiting every day."[31] From April 2007, leading MMA website UFCmania.com (acquired by SB Nation in 2009 as MMAmania.com[32]) selected Mad Squabbles as one of its MMA beat reporters for its official MMA fighter ranking poll.[33]

Between 2008 and late 2010[19] he was color commentating live broadcast fight cards for the regional MMA promotion Ultimate Warrior Challenge.[34][35]

Between 2008 and 2012[19] Thomas was host to sports talk radio show MMA Nation on WJFK-FM (CBS Radio's 106.7 The Fan).[36][37] From 2012[19] to August 2020[38] he was the host of The Luke Thomas Show on Sirius XM radio (Rush, channel 93).[39][40][41][42]

Between 2007 and 2011[19] contrary to a common misconception,[24][43][44] Thomas was not the founder or co-founder of SB Nation's first MMA sports blog Bloody Elbow (launched February 15, 2007[45]). Founder Nate Wilcox (Kid Nate) recruited Thomas to help run it on May 21, 2007.[22][24][25][26] Thomas eventually became editor in chief of BloodyElbow.com.[20][46] It was reviewed as one of the best MMA news & media blogs online.[20][47][48][49] Currently it is the #5 most popular MMA media & news website worldwide according to Alexa Internet.[50]

2011-2019[19] he was an MMA senior editor at SB Nation[51] and senior editor at MMAFighting.com[52] (acquired by SB Nation November 2011 from AOL[53]); a 2 million unique users per month website in 2011,[53] and currently the #3 most popular MMA media & news website worldwide according to Alexa Internet.[50] Also a two time (2013, 2015) World MMA Awards Media Source of the Year winner. Thomas was most notable on MMAFighting.com as a charter and regular panelist on The MMA Beat web series moderated by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani,[54][55] and for his weekly webcast Promotional Malpractice and podcast Monday Morning Analyst.[56]

Since late 2019 Thomas got hired by ViacomCBS, initially working for Showtime[57] and later for CBS Sports.[58]

Since then he has co-hosted a MMA/Boxing podcast called Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell (The King of Connecticut, The one and only BBC). Morning Kombat also does post fight reaction and analysis for PPVs and major events. Furthermore, Morning Kombat is renowned for their fan favourite documentary series in which the rigorous struggles of combat sports journalism are documented. The initial sequel in the series, titled Donkumentary 2.0: The Redemption is widely regarded as a masterpiece among the filmmaking community and receives regular praise for being a work of art. Luke provides in-depth analysis of fights and fighters on his other podcasts, Dissected, and The Luke Thomas live chat. Luke Thomas's live chat and his other podcasts are ranked #1 in best MMA podcast by Player FM. Morning Kombat won Best MMA Programming 2021 at the World MMA Awards.[59]

Professional views

Thomas stated he likes MMA fighting because "Struggle and fear tackled by athleticism, technical know-how and innate desires for self-preservation brings out a side in humanity that exists only in the deepest recesses of our being. MMA fighting has no peer when it comes to the demands the sport places on its participants both physically and psychologically. And I love watching that dynamic in action"".[20] But he hates everything else about the MMA world.[60] He thinks many of the individuals in the industry are "utterly detestable".[60] He suspects that "the majority of conversations [he has] with members of the fight community are either extended lies or at least contain a lie".[4] Therefore, he tries to keep his direct contact with MMA promotions to a minimum.[4][60]

He dislikes professional wrestling (pro wrestling) because "it sucks" and he doesn't like fiction.[61][62][63]

He is very irritated by MMA journalists or analysts who are "gigantic fat slobs". According to Thomas "One need not train five days a week to be a competent analyst of MMA, but experiencing the rigors of physical punishment certainly informs your judgment."[20]

Controversy

On June 15, 2010, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White misunderstood a Twitter exchange discussing his "ineptness" as an MMA promoter, between a fan and MMA Nation talk radio show host Thomas. White tweeted back to the fan, attacking Thomas "u shouldn't even respond to this douche who doesn't know shit about the sport ... never heard of this clown or his website or whatever it is.". When White realized that Thomas in fact responded positively about him to the fan, he tweeted an apology and on July 1, 2010, gave a live telephone interview to Thomas on MMA Nation as compensation .[36][37]

Thomas,[64][65][66] and other MMA journalists and fans,[67][68][69][70][71][72][73] have criticized the UFC for putting on too many shows and thus diluting the quality of their product. On March 7, 2014; while watching Bellator 111 fight event which he reviewed on Mmafighting.com earlier that day,[74] Thomas tweeted "Dear ALL MMA Promoters: More MMA is not better. No one cares anymore. Better MMA is better. Please fix your product. Thanks in advance.". UFC president Dana White responded with the tweet "Dear whoever the hell u are. Nobody gives a shit what u think 02 is sold out and fans r pumped for 2 nite. Ur opinion=WGAF" (White was referring to March 8, UFC Fight Night 37 in London). When another Twitter member confronted White, tweeting " if nobody gives a shit what [Thomas] thinks, then why is he on @ufc countdown shows?" White responded with the tweet "I already said wont make that mistake again".[75] UFC Countdown shows are "UFC’s documentary series profiling the fighters appearing in upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship events"[76] also featuring prominent MMA media members point of view.

On March 24, 2016, Thomas revealed on The MMA Beat (Episode 102), that he is blocked from Dana White's Twitter feed. Fellow panelists, MMA journalists Chuck Mindenhall and Jeff Wagenheim stated the same, while Ariel Helwani was not.[77] Helwani has since been blocked.

Personal life

In January 2014, following the reported suicide of MMA female fighter Cat Zingano's husband, Thomas shared that his mother took her own life when he was 23 years old (2003). Thomas described his loss "a pain that is torturous and inextinguishable".[78]

Thomas's wife is Colombian born and raised in Bogotá.[79] They have one daughter together.

Awards

Thomas has been a 2014 Journalist Of The Year World MMA Awards nominee. [80]

References

  1. ^ a b "Luke Thomas Talks a Good Fight". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Luke Thomas". MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  3. ^ "'Bigger than Ronda Rousey'". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Deitsch, Richard. "MMA media roundtable; more Media Circus". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Brian Stann to Host New MMA Show on SiriusXM | Fight Network". Fight Network. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor: Why the super fight is almost an impossibility". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Radio (1 p.m. ET): Chas Skelly, Luke Thomas, Richard Hunter, Sammy T. Squid, Jason Lackey". MMAjunkie. 16 October 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Russian Emelianenko brings big reputation to the States". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Jon Jones USADA Arbitration a Marathon, Decision Pending". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  10. ^ "UWC-Confrontation Pre-Party with WJFK 106.7 | On The Mat". www.onthemat.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  11. ^ Thomas, Luke (16 January 2008). "Couture, "Operation: All In" Raise $90,000". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Born in India". Twitter (Luke Thomas verified account). Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  13. ^ "LukeThomas/About". Google+ (Luke Thomas verified account). Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  14. ^ "Luke Thomas on Tim Kennedy calling Edmond Tarverdyan 'terrorist sympathiser' • /r/MMA". Reddit (Luke Thomas verified account). 29 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  15. ^ "Armenian Mother 1". Twitter (Luke Thomas verified account). Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  16. ^ "Armenian mother 2". Twitter (Luke Thomas verified account ). Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  17. ^ a b c "Episode 7: Luke Thomas unleashes the spinning piledriver | DC IMPROV | Comedy Club, Restaurant, Bar, School N.W. Washington D.C." The Improv. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  18. ^ "UFC 241 Full Breakdown". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Lukethomasmma". LinkedIn. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Better Know a Blogger: Bloody Elbow's Luke Thomas". SB Nation. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Blogger: User Profile: Luke (Archived)". Blogger (service). 10 October 2007. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ a b c "MAD SQUABBLES: A Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Blog (Archived)". www.mad-squabbles.com. 19 December 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ "So, are you blogging or what? (Archived)". www.mad-squabbles.com. 29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  24. ^ a b c "Ask Luke Anything: Why Did You Start BloodyElbow.com?". YouTube (Luke Thomas official channel). Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  25. ^ a b Haynes, Stephie (19 June 2013). "The History of Bloody Elbow & notable Moments". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  26. ^ a b "Farewell, my sweet Bloody Elbow logo... - Fightlinker.com | RM Sports". Fightlinker.com. 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  27. ^ "Major MMAMania.com announcement!". SB Nation (MMAmania.com). 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  28. ^ Galliford, Brian (29 May 2007). "SB Nation Sports Report TONIGHT". SB Nation (BuffaloRumblings.com). Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  29. ^ "Wednesday hot topics". www.FightOpinion.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  30. ^ "Search Results "mad squabbles "". www.FightOpinion.com. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  31. ^ "Thursday MMA headlines | Fightlinker.com comment". 2 March 2007. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  32. ^ Thomas, Luke (29 December 2008). "Huge Announcement: MMAMania.com Joins the SB Nation". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  33. ^ "UFC fighter rankings by UFCmania.com for April". SB Nation (MMAmania.com). Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  34. ^ "D.C. Sports Bog - Tommy the Green Ranger's local MMA debut". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  35. ^ "Is Ultimate Warrior Challenge the East Coast's Strikeforce?". MMAjunkie.com. 30 November 2008. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  36. ^ a b Sharp, Andrew (16 June 2010). "Dana White Is Kind Of Awesome". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  37. ^ a b Thomas, Luke (1 July 2010). "UFC President Dana White Talks His "Zero" Interest in Fedor Emelianenko, Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, the Delusion of James Toney and More on MMA Nation on 106.7 The Fan". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  38. ^ The Luke Thomas Show, archived from the original on 2020-05-19, retrieved 2020-10-08
  39. ^ "Luke Thomas". Sirius XM Radio. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  40. ^ "Luke Thomas Profile, Activity and Communities". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  41. ^ "Khabib Nurmagomedov Demands Title Shot; Threatens to Block UFC in Russia". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  42. ^ "Vitor Belfort offers suggestions to increase fighter pay in UFC". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  43. ^ Alexander, Mookie (6 June 2013). "Luke Thomas talks Rampage, UFC fighter pay, more!". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  44. ^ Haynes, Stephie (7 April 2016). "TAP: Luke Thomas, MVP, Rob Whiteford, George Lockhart". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  45. ^ "Bloody Elbow :: An SB Nation blog for fans of UFC and Mixed Martial Arts (Archived)". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). 18 February 2007. Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  46. ^ Alexander, Mookie (6 June 2013). "Former Bloody Elbow Editor in Chief Luke Thomas Joins". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  47. ^ "Best MMA Blog Sites - Top Picks (Archived)". www.kickassmma.com. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  48. ^ "TSJ's Top 10 MMA Websites (Archived)". www.thesportsjunkie.ca. 11 January 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  49. ^ Bemis, Brian (3 June 2009). "Great MMA Web sites: My Top Choices". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  50. ^ a b "Alexa - Top Sites by Category: Sports/Martial Arts/Submission Fighting and MMA/News and Media". Alexa Internet. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  51. ^ "Luke Thomas - SBNation.com". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  52. ^ "Luke Thomas - MMA Fighting". www.mmafighting.com. SB Nation (MMAFighting.com). Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  53. ^ a b Ourand, John (7 November 2011). "SB Nation Acquires Combat Sports Site MMA Fighting from AOL". American City Business Journals (SportsBusinessDaily.com). Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  54. ^ "The MMA Beat - Episode One". YouTube (MMAFighting.com official channel). 8 September 2012. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  55. ^ Schlinsky, Alex (6 June 2015). "Luke Thomas Shares Qualms With New UFC Drug Policy". SB Nation (MMAMania.com). Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  56. ^ Cole, Ross (11 January 2016). "10 MMA Podcasts Worth Checking Out (2016 Edition) - Page 4". www.mmainsight.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  57. ^ "Luke Thomas on leaving MMA Fighting: 'I was not sabotaging anyone's career'". www.bloodyelbow.com. 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  58. ^ Tees, David (August 25, 2020). "Luke Thomas Heading To CBS Sports, Morning Kombat To Expand | Fightful MMA". www.fightful.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  59. ^ "2021 World MMA Awards Results". MMA Fighting. 2021-12-10. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  60. ^ a b c "I am Luke Thomas, MMA journalist: AMA • /r/MMA". Reddit. 6 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  61. ^ "MMA writers Jordan Breen and Luke Thomas are disgusted with pro-wrestling fans using MMA for validation". www.fightopinon.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  62. ^ Gould, K. J. (28 August 2010). "Luke Thomas' REAL Gripe About Pro Wrestling". www.cagesideseats.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  63. ^ Wilcox, Nate (7 September 2010). "More on the Great "Keep Your Pro Wrestling Out of My MMA" Debate". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  64. ^ Thomas, Luke (5 August 2013). "Signal to Noise: UFC 163's best and worst". SB Nation (MMAFighting.com). Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  65. ^ "Live Chat: UFC Fight Night weekend preview, GLORY 17 recap, over saturation debate". YouTube (MMAFighting.com official channel). 25 June 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  66. ^ Helwani, Ariel (11 July 2014). "MMA Beat on 176 cancellation, Rousey, Weidman, BJ". SB Nation (MMAFighting.com). Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  67. ^ "UFC Aftermath: Trying to Understand the "Angry Watching" Phenomenon". The Province. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  68. ^ Iole, Kevin. "Dana White says business is booming, will have $175 million economic impact in Las Vegas this week". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  69. ^ Raimondi, Marc (11 March 2015). "ONE CEO: Goal is to put on 50 shows per year". MMA Fighting. SB Nation (MMAFighting.com). Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  70. ^ Schlinsky, Alex (15 November 2014). "UFC 180 Details: Who is Fighting, When And Why". SB Nation (MMAmania.com). Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  71. ^ Wyman, Patrick. "How the UFC Has Done More with Less in 2015". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  72. ^ "UFC's Oversaturation and Overcommitment Problems". www.mmanuts.com. 20 April 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  73. ^ "MMA: Are too many shows watering down the sport?". www.FanSided.com. 17 July 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  74. ^ Thomas, Luke (7 March 2014). "Bellator 111 predictions". SB Nation (MMAFighting.com). Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  75. ^ "UFC President Dana White Should Respond to Criticism, Not Mock It". CagePotato. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  76. ^ "UFC Countdown". A. Smith & Co. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  77. ^ "The MMA Beat: Episode 102 (min 53:46-53:53)". YouTube (MMAFighting.com official channel). 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  78. ^ Wilcox, Nate (16 January 2014). "Luke Thomas on mourning suicide and Cat Zingano". SB Nation (BloodyElbow.com). Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  79. ^ "Colombian wife". Twitter (Luke Thomas verified account). Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  80. ^ Quigley, Paul. "7th Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards winners list - Fighters Only Magazine". fightersonlymag.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Luke_Thomas_(journalist)&oldid=1218576691"