Masaaki Satake
Thompson then signed with K-1 and made his professional kickboxing debut on 4 March 1994, stopping Gary Sandland with a spinning back kick in round four at "K-1 Challenge". The following month, he was invited to compete in the "K-1 Grand Prix '94", held on 30 April 1994 in Tokyo. He lost to Masaaki Satake via technical knockout due to a cut in round three of their quarter-final match. Returning at "K-1 Revenge" in Yokohama, Japan on 18 September 1994, Thompson knocked out Muay Thai exponent Changpuek Kiatsongrit with a lighting-quick spinning back kick just two seconds into the third round.