UFC president Dana White, former champion Matt Serra and ex-fighter Din Thomas return for another episode of “Lookin’ for a Fight.” In this episode, White and company embark on an adventure to South Dakota for the annual Sturgis rally. While there, they see Mount Rushmore, a tattoo cover-up and get a front row seat to […]
UFC president Dana White, former champion Matt Serra and ex-fighter Din Thomas return for another episode of “Lookin’ for a Fight.” In this episode, White and company embark on an adventure to South Dakota for the annual Sturgis rally. While there, they see Mount Rushmore, a tattoo cover-up and get a front row seat to […]
Tyron Woodley isn’t widely regarded as an all-time great, but his coach believes the potential to make that a reality is there. Din Thomas, who is a renowned coach at American Top Team, has worked with Woodley at the gym in Coconut Creek, Florida. “The Chosen One” successfully defended his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight […]
Tyron Woodley isn’t widely regarded as an all-time great, but his coach believes the potential to make that a reality is there. Din Thomas, who is a renowned coach at American Top Team, has worked with Woodley at the gym in Coconut Creek, Florida. “The Chosen One” successfully defended his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight […]
After three years of training with American Top Team (ATT), former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title holder Robbie Lawler left the camp. Lawler hasn’t revealed which team he will be training with going forward.
Assistant coach at ATT Din Thomas appeared on “The Main Event Zone” (via Flo Combat) to discuss Lawler’s departure. He said the former champion most likely made the right call for himself:
“If it’s a coaching issue where you’re not getting the proper coaching that you need, then you need to find better coaches. If you don’t have the proper sparring partners that you need, then you need to go find the right sparring partners. For whatever reason, Robbie felt that he had to leave. I’m sure he thought about it, and I’m sure it was probably the best decision for him.”
While Lawler may have left ATT, Thomas feels he will still be “Ruthless.”
“Like I said, I don’t know what his reasoning was, but I wish him all the best and I got nothing but love for him. He’s a true champion, he’s a great fighter and he’s a pioneer. I’m sure he will land on his feet wherever he lands, and I’m sure he will continue to crack skulls open.”
There are many times where fighters have left gyms on bad terms. That doesn’t appear to be the case here as Thomas has been respectful of Lawler’s decision. Having said that, the assistant coach also believes ATT will remain as an elite team regardless of who comes and goes.
“The mood is good–it doesn’t matter who’s in. That’s the one thing about the dynamic of American Top Team, because we are such a big team, with or without Robbie we are still going to be the best team in the world.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_KHFLHXj0g
After three years of training with American Top Team (ATT), former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title holder Robbie Lawler left the camp. Lawler hasn’t revealed which team he will be training with going forward.
Assistant coach at ATT Din Thomas appeared on “The Main Event Zone” (via Flo Combat) to discuss Lawler’s departure. He said the former champion most likely made the right call for himself:
“If it’s a coaching issue where you’re not getting the proper coaching that you need, then you need to find better coaches. If you don’t have the proper sparring partners that you need, then you need to go find the right sparring partners. For whatever reason, Robbie felt that he had to leave. I’m sure he thought about it, and I’m sure it was probably the best decision for him.”
While Lawler may have left ATT, Thomas feels he will still be “Ruthless.”
“Like I said, I don’t know what his reasoning was, but I wish him all the best and I got nothing but love for him. He’s a true champion, he’s a great fighter and he’s a pioneer. I’m sure he will land on his feet wherever he lands, and I’m sure he will continue to crack skulls open.”
There are many times where fighters have left gyms on bad terms. That doesn’t appear to be the case here as Thomas has been respectful of Lawler’s decision. Having said that, the assistant coach also believes ATT will remain as an elite team regardless of who comes and goes.
“The mood is good–it doesn’t matter who’s in. That’s the one thing about the dynamic of American Top Team, because we are such a big team, with or without Robbie we are still going to be the best team in the world.”
Ever since being forced into a semi-retirement due to a heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy has been building up a ton of good will with fans while serving as the color commentator for several of the UFC’s overseas shows. His intelligent, insightful, and undeniably British mic skills have left many fans calling for Hardy to replace Jon Anik outright, which is sad because Anik is probably the nicest cliche-spitting android this side of Shotbot.
That was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen.
Ross Pearson won that fight clearly, and Diego accepted the win like he does…he’s as crazy as he is. I’m a huge Diego fan, but for me, he is what’s wrong with mixed martial arts right now. He is the 20th century bullheaded martial artist that walks forward and fights with their face, and now we’ve got guys like … Conor McGregor, we’ve got Gunnar Nelson; they’ve all got this very Machida-esque style where they’re very mobile; they can switch stances, and they can hit with power from anywhere.
I think Diego represents the old school, where you just walk forward in a boxing stance and see who falls over first.
Ever since being forced into a semi-retirement due to a heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy has been building up a ton of good will with fans while serving as the color commentator for several of the UFC’s overseas shows. His intelligent, insightful, and undeniably British mic skills have left many fans calling for Hardy to replace Jon Anik outright, which is sad because Anik is probably the nicest cliche-spitting android this side of Shotbot.
That was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen.
Ross Pearson won that fight clearly, and Diego accepted the win like he does…he’s as crazy as he is. I’m a huge Diego fan, but for me, he is what’s wrong with mixed martial arts right now. He is the 20th century bullheaded martial artist that walks forward and fights with their face, and now we’ve got guys like … Conor McGregor, we’ve got Gunnar Nelson; they’ve all got this very Machida-esque style where they’re very mobile; they can switch stances, and they can hit with power from anywhere.
I think Diego represents the old school, where you just walk forward in a boxing stance and see who falls over first.
It’s a pretty apt breakdown of the fighter Sanchez has evolved (devolved?) into, as the TUF 1 winner’s last few fights have seen him abandon anything resembling an intelligent gameplan in favor of a strategy more fit for Julian Lane. Still, Sanchez has gone an even 2-2 in his last 4, and while a win over him wouldn’t exactly put Hardy in line for a title shot, it would be a nice name to add to his list of victims.
“I’d like to get in there and maybe push him toward retirement,” said Hardy “Get my comeback fight, give him his last fight, and see where we’re at.”
Hardy has additionally stated that he “has reason to believe” the UFC might be interested in booking him against Sanchez, but considering what happened when the promotion recently tried to book Stefan Struve another fight after a similar layoff due to heart issues, I’d say it’s a long shot.
So Nation, any of you interested in the prospect of Hardy vs. Sanchez?
(Thomas lands some leather on Josh Neer during their UFC Fight Night 13 bout in April 2008. / Photo via Getty)
When Din Thomas made his professional MMA debut in October 1998, Bill Clinton was president of the United States, Google had only existed for about a month, and Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones were both eleven years old. Over the course of his 15-year career, Thomas waged war with the biggest lightweight names of his era — including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Matt Serra, and Caol Uno — and re-launched himself into the MMA spotlight in 2006 with an appearance on TUF 4 and a subsequent string of wins over Rich Clementi, Clay Guida, and Jeremy Stephens.
UFC 168, Weidman vs Silva, could have driven the last nail in the coffin of any idea that anybody from my era could still be champion. Anderson Silva failed to re-claim his title after suffering the 2 [worst] losses of his career to the undefeated, Chris Weidman. Whether Silva manages to ever return to the Octagon or not, this fight was career ending. Josh Barnett, our last heavyweight hopeful was unsuccessful at moving closer to owning the UFC heavyweight title that he once owned. His plans were foiled by Travis Browne. This trend is not necessarily a testament of the evolution of the new UFC athlete, but provides further evidence that my colleagues from the Golden Age of MMA are now of the “Olden Age” of MMA.
(Thomas lands some leather on Josh Neer during their UFC Fight Night 13 bout in April 2008. / Photo via Getty)
When Din Thomas made his professional MMA debut in October 1998, Bill Clinton was president of the United States, Google had only existed for about a month, and Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones were both eleven years old. Over the course of his 15-year career, Thomas waged war with the biggest lightweight names of his era — including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Matt Serra, and Caol Uno — and re-launched himself into the MMA spotlight in 2006 with an appearance on TUF 4 and a subsequent string of wins over Rich Clementi, Clay Guida, and Jeremy Stephens.
UFC 168, Weidman vs Silva, could have driven the last nail in the coffin of any idea that anybody from my era could still be champion. Anderson Silva failed to re-claim his title after suffering the 2 [worst] losses of his career to the undefeated, Chris Weidman. Whether Silva manages to ever return to the Octagon or not, this fight was career ending. Josh Barnett, our last heavyweight hopeful was unsuccessful at moving closer to owning the UFC heavyweight title that he once owned. His plans were foiled by Travis Browne. This trend is not necessarily a testament of the evolution of the new UFC athlete, but provides further evidence that my colleagues from the Golden Age of MMA are now of the “Olden Age” of MMA.
Despite the sorrow that this harsh reality brings to me, any relevant fighter from the 90s, or the old-school, genuine fans that supported us, it certainly brings comfort to my decision to officially retire over this monumental weekend. I suppose, misery does love company.
Yet instead of pondering over “what ifs”, “should’ves”, and “could’ves”, I appreciate and celebrate my time spent, devotion given, and influence I had on MMA. Fighting BJ Penn at the Meadowlands at UFC 32 in the UFC’s first show on Pay Per View since it had been banned for years, was an immeasurable experience. Being a part of the first ever sanctioned UFC fight in Las Vegas history against Fabiano Iha at UFC 33 is something that only Mr. Iha and I can claim (Dana White later joked to me that UFC 33 was the event that made him want to kill himself). Being invited to participate on The Ultimate Fighter season 4: The Comeback was life changing and I met some of the greatest guys I’ve ever known. My list goes on…
Reminiscing over a professional MMA career that has spanned close to 15 years, I acknowledge that none of it could have been as meaningful or possible without Dan Lambert, Dana White, the Fertitta Brothers, Joe Silva, Burt Watson, and the UFC. Their work, dedication, and vision has impacted and shaped the evolution of MMA on every level worldwide.
As I move forward and pursue other avenues of life, I will continue to support the UFC and their new, evolved athletes like Tyron Woodley and Dustin Poirier, and of course, perhaps our last great promising title contender from the Golden Age, Robbie Lawler. [Ed. note: I guess Vitor Belfort is chopped liver?]
Filed under: NewsVeteran fighter Din Thomas, attempting to return to the cage for the first time in nearly two years, didn’t make it to his fight Friday.
The UFC vet, scheduled to fight in the main event at Fight Time 7 at the War Memorial Auditorium…
Veteran fighter Din Thomas, attempting to return to the cage for the first time in nearly two years, didn’t make it to his fight Friday.
The UFC vet, scheduled to fight in the main event at Fight Time 7 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was reportedly injured in a car accident on the way to the venue. Fight Time promoter Howard Davis Jr. confirmed the news in a video released on YouTube following the show.
Davis, who built the show – “Fight Time 7: The Return of Din Thomas” – around the American Top Team product, gave early specifics on Thomas’ condition, but did not give any details on the accident. No other details about the crash were available late Friday.
“I just got some information from one of his trainers, and he stated that Din is a little banged up,” Davis said in the video. “His ribs might be broken, his arm hurts and his head is a little banged up. (But) they said that he should be OK.”
Thomas (25-8), a 35-year-old who started his career 12-1 to get a shot in the UFC, has been out of action since a January 2010 win over Dustin Pague in a World Extreme Fighting show in Pittsburgh. That win gave him three straight since being cut by the UFC in 2008.
Thomas has had three stints in the UFC. His debut came at UFC 32, a first-round knockout loss to BJ Penn. He followed that with a win over Fabiano Iha at UFC 33, and two wins outside the promotion.
At UFC 39, Thomas lost to Caol Uno. But he rebounded at UFC 41 with a majority decision win over future welterweight champion Matt Serra. Thomas then spent more than three years away from the UFC before returning by way of the comeback season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 4.
After the show, Thomas built a three-fight winning streak against Rich Clementi and current lightweight contenders Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens in 2007. But consecutive losses to Kenny Florian and Josh Neer ended in his release from the promotion with a 5-4 record over the three stints.
In 2010, Thomas was scheduled to fight boxer Ricardo Mayorga in an MMA fight. But a last-minute injunction against Shine Fights and Mayorga, stemming from a cease and desist motion filed by Don King Productions, shut that fight down.
Davis, the head boxing coach at American Top Team, also spoke in the video about his close relationship with Thomas.
“Din is like a son to me,” Davis said. “When I first came to American Top Team eight and a half years ago, there were only five or six fighters at the time. And Din was one of the first fighters I trained. One of the things that really showed me who Din Thomas was, was I always look at someone’s character. He is always honest and up front about himself. (He’s) a very dignified gentleman, and showed poise as a fighter.”
Thomas was scheduled to fight M-1 veteran George Sheppard (10-6) in the main event at Fight Time 7. Fight Time, run by Davis and his wife, has been putting on MMA shows in south Florida for a year.
Veteran fighter 
