Oli Thompson

Oliver "Oli" Thompson, born on 2 January 1980 in East Sussex, is an English heavyweight mixed martial artist who earlier made his reputation as a strongman. He grew up playing county rugby union, took up serious weight training at nineteen, and entered strongman competition in 2001. He won Britain's Strongest Man in 2006, took the South England Strongest Man title three times and Sussex Strongest Man three years running, and competed in IFSA events and Grand Prix contests abroad before a torn biceps in 2007 slowed his progress. He made his mixed martial arts debut in February 2009, won the UCMMA heavyweight title in 2011, fought for the UFC, BAMMA and Bellator, and captured the 2015 Inoki Genome Federation World Grand Prix and championship. He was still fighting in 2025, when he faced Josh Barnett at a Bloodsport event in London.