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TUF 4 alum Din Thomas parts ways with American Top Team after 19 years.
After almost two decades with the famed American Top Team gym as both a fighter and a coach, Din Thomas is moving on. On Thursday, he revealed to MMA Fighting that he was parting ways with his long-time stable.
“I just feel like it’s time for me to move on,” Thomas said, noting that the split was amicable. “I was with them for 19 years. My justification is if Tom Brady can leave the Patriots after 20, I can leave ATT after 19.
“There’s a lot of fighters I want to work with, and I can’t get to them because of my affiliation. I want to be able to have more freedom to work with people and develop different people without having a structure behind me.”
Thomas helped shape the careers of the likes of Amanda Nunes, Greg Hardy, and Tyron Woodley, just to name a few. As he moves on from ATT, the 43-year-old mentor is looking to build a career as a head coach.
“It was a tough decision for me, because I love ATT – it’s always been my family,” said Thomas, who also revealed an online training program he’s currently developing. “It’s just I’m getting older and I don’t want to do it under that format any more. It’s not bad terms, I just want more freedom to do my own thing.”
“If (fighters) don’t get better, that’s my fault, and I take responsibility for that,” he added. “If they get better, I did my job correctly. I’m not afraid of that responsibility.”
Thomas held three stints with the UFC and was part of the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter. He is also part of Dana White’s Lookin’ For a Fight crew, along with former champion Matt Serra.