The Triangle Choke: Din Thomas Interview

Din Thomas discusses his upcoming fight with Ricardo Mayorga at Shine 3 on May 15th

Over the years there has been much speculation and plenty of trash talk regarding what would happen if an elite boxer squared off against an elite mixed-martial artist. That has yet to be determined as most boxers, including Ray Mercer, entered the cage well past their prime and with little MMA training. MMA lightweight Din Thomas and former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga will get their chance to prove which sport is greater on May 15, 2010 in Fayettville, NC atop the Shine Fights 3 fight card. Din has fought the best of the best in the lightweight division and will be a major challenge for Mayorga’s ground game. Thomas, an American Top Team member, will be focused and ready for the boxer turned mixed-martial artist. Ricardo Mayorga, who is 36 years old and still in great condition, boasts a career boxing record of 28-7 that includes two victories over the great Vernon Forrest and losses to the likes of Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and most recently to Shane Mosley. In the midst of his preparation Din Thomas took some time to speak with Scott Dryden regarding his training and his thoughts on Mayorga.

SD- You are on a three fight winning streak leading up to your fight against Ricardo Mayorga on May 15th. Speak about your recent career and the promotions you have been fighting in.

DT- Like you said I’m on a three fight winning streak which is a good thing for me. When I have momentum I feel like I can beat anyone. As far as organizations go I fought for a promotion in Missouri (Headhunter Productions) that showcases a lot of talent. The event had Ben Askren’s first fight and Tyrone Woodley also fought on that card. It was a good show where guys really got to showcase their skills. I fought on a Roy Jones boxing card against a very tough Gabe Lemley. It was really a boxing show. I’m not really interested in doing that again. My last fight was in Pittsburgh where I defeated Dustin Pague. That was for an older organization that just resurrected itself, World Extreme Fighting. I’m on a roll now so cats better look out.

Din Thomas will face former boxer turned MMA pro Ricardo Mayorga at Shine 3 on May 15, 2010.

SD- You have faced the likes of Kenny Florian, Clay Guida, Josh Neer, BJ Penn and Jens Pulver to name a few. Speak about your career as a whole which includes two stints in the UFC.

DT- It’s been an honor. I think I have had a very successful career. If you talk about what a guy has done in his career and where he has been, I’ve done it all. I could have really retired five years ago and been happy with my career. Now I’m still competing and doing well. It hasn’t been perfect as I haven’t won every fight or gave my best performance but I’ve still accomplished what 99% of the population has never done. I’ve always treated my career as a marathon and not just a sprint. Some guys who have been training for a year speak about fighting in the UFC. I’m like come on man have a little more respect for the fighters. It’s about the big picture and not just one or two fights. I’ve been able to fight in Japan, England, I’ve been everywhere. If I was forced to quit today I would be very happy with my career.

SD- Speak about your training at American Top Team and what it’s like training there on a daily basis.

DT- As far as sheer depth goes I don’t think there is a team out there that can mess with us. There are some great teams out there but none of them have the depth that we have. On a daily basis, especially at my weight, I can get in there and work with Mike Brown, Yves Edwards to name a few. There are guys who don’t live around there or who are on other teams that come to train when they have big fights coming up; guys such as Brian Bowles and Mark Bocek. These guys are world class athletes. I’ve been a part of it since day one and to see it grow to where it is today is incredible. I don’t just feel like a member of the team I feel like I am the team.

SD- Speak about your opportunity with Shine Fights and the length of the deal.

DT- So far Shine Fights has been nothing but good to me. As far as the length of the deal and all that I let my manager deal with that. They tell me where to show up and who to train for. They (Shine Fights) seem like really good guys who look out for the athletes. It’s hard too because they are dealing with competition like the UFC and sometimes they try to shut you out. Obviously they aren’t trying to compete with the UFC right now. They are just trying to do their own thing. There are plenty of fighters out there so hopefully Shine Fights continues to grow and gets a fan base out there. I hope they keep it going.

> Check out the MMA clothing & merchandise including brands like Affliction, TapouT and Intimidation MMA Clothing available online through ProFighting-fans.com!

SD- What are your thoughts on Ricardo Mayorga going from the boxing ring to the MMA cage?

DT- I’ll give him one thing, he has some balls. A lot of boxers have talked trash but have never stepped up. Up until now he really hasn’t talked much trash. He isn’t going to have a lot of fun out there if you know what I’m saying. Especially fighting a guy like me, it’s not going to be any fun at all for him. It’s going to be an embarrassing situation for him.

SD- Do you approach the training for him any differently given his exceptional hand speed and boxing skills?

DT- Not really. To be honest I don’t think his boxing is any better than a lot of MMA guys. There are some guys in MMA who are better boxers than him. I’m not going to do anything different preparing for him. He may hit harder because that is all he does. However, I don’t think he is faster or more technical. I don’t think he has better defense. I really don’t think his footwork is any better. So for me to approach this fight any differently would be foolish. Any fight I come into I work on defense because I don’t like getting hit anyway! Either way I’m going to put my game on him and make it exciting.

SD- Good luck Din.

For ticket and viewing information visit www.shinefights.com and be sure to track the Shine 3 fight results online here at ProFighting-fans.com.

By Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Editor-in-Chief