Thompson was then scheduled to face Eddie Chambers on 28 October 2011 in a bout televised by Showtime, for what would have been a final eliminator for IBF world heavyweight title. However, the fight was cancelled after Chambers had to pull out due to spinal injury. After the withdrawal of Chambers, the No.1 contendership spot became vacant, and Thompson, who was ranked No.2, was nominated the mandatory IBF challenger. At the conclusion of 2011, BoxRec ranked Thompson as the 8th best heavyweight in the world.