by STASH CAPAR, The Fight Network

Updated: May 29, 2008, 8:39 PM EST 2 comments

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The British underdog hopes to prove the naysayers wrong when he goes up against famed Internet street brawler Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in the main event at EliteXC: Primetime on Saturday. Though few expect Thompson (14-8, 0-1 EXC) to leave the cage victorious, the Rochdale, England, native assures fans he will not disappoint.

"A lot of people think I'm the perfect opponent for 'Kimbo,'" Thompson says. "I'll come in, look scary and get knocked out. I'm shocked by the number of people that have bought into the 'Kimbo' hype."

While Thompson has always been viewed as a crowd pleaser, his success in MMA can best be described as lukewarm. He holds wins against UFC Hall-of-Famer Dan Severn, Don Frye and Hidehiko Yoshida but has also lost to a number of lesser known opponents, Brett Rogers being the most recent.

Regardless of his hot-and-cold history, Thompson has gained a following over the years due not only to his exciting style but also to his intriguing back story. The 6-foot-5 heavyweight has held a number of odd jobs, from gypsy remover to doorman to debt collector.

"I remember one time I had to collect a debt from a particular man," Thompson says. "I arrived at his house and found the door open, so I went in. Inside, I found him tied up being worked on by a dominatrix."

Thompson's debt collecting days may be behind him, but at 29 years old, he feels he still has many productive years ahead of him in MMA. Though many see his upcoming bout with Ferguson (2-0, 2-0 EXC) as another loss in the making, Thompson chooses to view it in a different light — as an opportunity to start over.

"I can see why people don't have confidence in me," Thompson says, "but it doesn't bother me; it's such a massive chance to put me back on track."

A win against Ferguson in the first live MMA event on network television would do wonders for Thompson's career. With only two professional fights under his belt, Ferguson smashed UFC pioneer David "Tank" Abbott in his last outing at EliteXC: Street Certified in February. And though he remains a relative novice, Ferguson carries a recognizable name with him into the cage. Thompson hopes to exploit his popularity.

Having lost six of his past eight matches, Thompson knows victory against Ferguson can only be achieved by using all aspects of his MMA game, not just the patented "Gong and Dash" technique that earned him adoration in the past.

"The best weapon against 'Kimbo' is a well-rounded MMA game," Thompson says. "I've been drilling absolutely everything constantly."

The behemoth has also gone to great lengths to improve his defense — an area that has plagued him in the past. After knockout losses to Aleksander Emelianenko, Kazuyuki Fujita, Eric "Butterbean" Esch and others, Thompson has been tagged as a fighter who owns a glass jaw.

"I realize that there were holes in my defense, but I've been working on it," Thompson says. "A lot of it was just going back and fixing the basics."

Thompson's career may resemble a rollercoaster ride, complete with impressive wins and surprising losses. Lately, there have been far more lows than highs. Regardless, he remains optimistic as prepares for his main event match with Ferguson. In fact, Thompson claims he has only one regret.

"I should have videotaped my unsanctioned street fights," he says. "I could have been a rich man by now."