Ricardo Mayorga Set to Face Din Thomas at Shine Fights III
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2009 4:00 PM EST
in MMA News
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Ricardo Mayorga, a former World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council welterweight champion, will make his MMA debut against UFC veteran Din Thomas at Shine Fights III. MMA Mania with the confirmation:
Former UFC lightweight Din Thomas will welcome former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga to the world of mixed martial arts when the two clash at the upcoming third event from the Shine Fights promotion, which is expected to go down in March 2010 at a venue to be named.
MMAmania.com confirmed the match-up earlier today.
Ricardo Mayorga has a reputation as a "bad boy" with his tendency to insult fighters and their families in the build-up to his major fights, as well as his being quick to admit that he smokes and drinks in a way that is entirely unusual for a high level athlete. Some of Mayorga's best work was in the build up for his 2007 fight with Fernando Vargas which can be seen on this video:
In a conversation with MMA Spot, Din made it perfectly clear that he was more than willing to go that route in building up the fight:
I think he is afraid of me. If he does accept the fight I will put him into retirement and send him back to his fruit stand in Nicaragua. He will be wearing a straw hat, smoking cigarettes, and selling bananas once and for all. This is MMA and I will beat him standing or on the ground. I will let him pick how he wants to lose his first MMA fight.
Beyond the verbal jabs it is extremely interesting to note what this fight represents. This is a boxer who is still reasonably close to his athletic prime entering MMA to take on a legitimately skilled mixed martial artist. While Mayorga hasn't stepped into the ring since being stopped in the last second of his fight with Shane Mosely in September of 2008, he is still not as far removed from relevancy as Ray Mercer when he fought Tim Sylvia earlier this year.
Much as was the case in the Mercer/Sylvia fight, many fans will overvalue the meaning that the fight has in the relatively pointless boxing v. MMA debate. It holds interest in seeing how a pure boxer's skills will translate into a fight under MMA rules but in the end will prove little to change anyone's mind on the relative merits of either sport. Should Thomas take down the wild swinging Mayorga and submit him it will simply prove that which we learned in early UFCs, and if Mayorga manages to channel Ray Mercer and knocks Din out it will simply prove that boxers have very powerful punches and represent a legitimate threat on the feet.
No matter the outcome these truths exist now, as they did before the Mercer/Sylvia fight, as they will after the Mayorga/Thomas fight.
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LMFAO
“If he does accept the fight I will put him into retirement and send him back to his fruit stand in Nicaragua. He will be wearing a straw hat, smoking cigarettes, and selling bananas once and for all.”
That’s gold Jerry, gold!
The only thing Jon Jones does better than Matt Hamill is hear.
(And smash faces)
by ufc4 on Dec 16, 2009 4:07 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I like quality trash talk as much as the next guy
but borderline racist shit like that is pretty fucked up
by some schmuck in texas on Dec 16, 2009 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
'' the pointless boxing v MMA debate'' that this site perpetuates to get hits but distances itself from to seem above stupid arguments
I guess you have to cater to the ‘’ WWE fan’’ demographic sometimes. Or the fat short order cook with a tapout shirt on , as Joe Rogan says. Though they are kind of the same person.
When do we perpetuate the debate?
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2009 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
I have problems with certain things about boxing…I hate sanctioning bodies, I hate the awful hometown decisions, etc. But I love the sport of boxing deeply. And as I’ve covered time and time again…I got my break here at SBNation BECAUSE I was writing about boxing.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
I'm with you on all of the reasons we've discussed in the past
about boxing’s flaws, as well as MMA’s flaws. Boxing has a place in the sports world, but their leadership is doing an absolutely dreadful job of tending the marketplace.
I love the sport, and hope that someone can get in there and make some drastic changes in the direction the sport has been going. The top-heavy model can’t last like this forever, but I still love to watch the big fights.
I just wish that we could know more about guys like Berto when they’re rising. It’s much more fun being a fan of good/great fighters when you’re able to get in on the ground floor.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
by misterjonez on Dec 16, 2009 7:25 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The ignorance/stupidity of this comment makes me want to cry blood out of my ears.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 16, 2009 6:14 PM EST up reply actions
That is serious smack-talk.
Very clever and nasty. Need more.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 16, 2009 4:07 PM EST reply actions
On principal alone, Mayorga is not to be fucked with standing up.
I really want to see this one.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
Yeah. the chuckle from the translator as he says it is wonderful
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2009 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
Man, I remember when this fight happened too. The fight was so close on the cards. Someone had it 113-113 draw I believe. The lead-up was truly epic.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Dec 16, 2009 5:08 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with this post
This fight isn’t only interesting because of the boxing vs. mma debate, but in seeing what skills can be taken from boxing to make the more perfect mma fighter. We saw what BJ was able to do to Diego with some boxing skills. I’m hoping Din does stand with him for at least a little while, just to see what the strengths and weaknesses are in those forms. I know, boxing doesn’t have forms, but you know what I mean.
i'll take thomas b/c i can't stand people who smoke
my only reason. lol.
yes i am obsessive, obnoxious, in your face and all about covering the spread. those are my good qualities.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Dec 16, 2009 4:44 PM EST reply actions
I've watched that video probably a dozen times.
Vargas – “and I said, and I said, and I said, and I said…”
Mayorga – Lights up cigarette and asks, “Now what do you have to say to me?”
LMAO! Classic!
Din is going to tell everyone he’ll stand with Mayorga… then abruptly submit his ass.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I suspect you are right, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Din doing better in the standup than most people would imagine. I think Din could beat him standing, he just needs to get the fight into a range that Mayorga is not familiar with. Mayorga has never had to defend kicks, knees, or prolonged clinch fighting up against a cage. Dirty boxing in the clinch can be particularly effective against a guy who is scared shitless of being taken down.
WAR DIN!!!
God I hope Din hits a double right out of the gate and pounds him out in about 2 minutes or submits him.
I gotta say, Mayorga won me over in that youtube clip when he lit his smoke in mid interview. Of course, judging from the main picture, this dosen’t seem to be out of character for him.
It’s gonna be a fun fight.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
I’ve been watching Mayorga for awhile now and I would have to say he is no where near his prime ( see Forest vs Mayorga 1 ). I no he gave Shane a good fight , but I think that was his last stand, not to mention he was always a crude brawler not really a boxer . Din should find it quite easy to get under one of Mayorga’s wide looping punches and get the takedown and that should really be the end of the fight.
In the second Forrest fight he straight up outboxed Vernon. When he wants to…he can box a bit.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 16, 2009 6:53 PM EST up reply actions
War Mayorga !
most smart ass fighters rub me the wrong way but Mayorga is so over the top rediculous with pretty much everything he says and does that its almost enchanting .. hes a like a bad ass cartoon character or something
so then Dad goes and turns the knife on her .. then he turns to me and sez ........................................... Why so Serious ??
Damn that was an unbelievable amount of cussing, does the FCC not care if its in another language?
Not saying I’m offended but damn
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