Former boxing champ Ricardo Mayorga's MMA debut against UFC veteran Din Thomas is official for the main event of Shine Fights 3 taking place May 15 at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C.
Shine Fights sent out a release Wednesday announcing the matchup for the pay-per-view event with a price tag of $29.95.
MMA Fighting has also confirmed with Shine that the only other fight currently signed is Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Falaniko Vitale.
Mayorga is a former WBA and WBC champion with a boxing record of 28-7-1. The 36-year-old is a controversial figure in the boxing world and knows how to fire up his opponent to sell fights.
"I conquered the world in the boxing ring all the while I was puffing cigarettes and drinking beer," Mayorga said in the release. "I won three world title belts and I stood toe to toe with so many legends, as I am a force of nature. Now I will shock the MMA fans and I know so many of my fans from boxing will follow me as I expand my repertoire. They can't deny me in MMA and I will destroy Din Thomas. I am going to smash him the way I smashed all the big superstars of boxing. To me, a fight is a fight in a ring, in a cage or on the street."
Thomas (25-8) won his last three fights since being released from his UFC contract. He holds UFC wins against Clay Guida, Jeremy Stephens, Rich Clementi and Matt Serra.
"I respect what Ricardo has done in boxing," Thomas said. "He fooled many opponents with that smoking and drinking shtick but he won't fool me. I train night and day and I know he works hard also. But I will send him back to boxing, crawling back to boxing. He is about to get a violent education about the skills he needs for MMA and they are skills that an old dog like Mayorga cannot learn."
News of the matchup first surfaced in December, but it seemed hard to believe that a former champ with little MMA training would accept a fight against a well-traveled veteran in Thomas under MMA rules. With the announcement Wednesday, it appears it'll be more than just a publicity stunt and the two athletes will indeed face off.
Shine Fights sent out a release Wednesday announcing the matchup for the pay-per-view event with a price tag of $29.95.
MMA Fighting has also confirmed with Shine that the only other fight currently signed is Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Falaniko Vitale.
Mayorga is a former WBA and WBC champion with a boxing record of 28-7-1. The 36-year-old is a controversial figure in the boxing world and knows how to fire up his opponent to sell fights.
"I conquered the world in the boxing ring all the while I was puffing cigarettes and drinking beer," Mayorga said in the release. "I won three world title belts and I stood toe to toe with so many legends, as I am a force of nature. Now I will shock the MMA fans and I know so many of my fans from boxing will follow me as I expand my repertoire. They can't deny me in MMA and I will destroy Din Thomas. I am going to smash him the way I smashed all the big superstars of boxing. To me, a fight is a fight in a ring, in a cage or on the street."
Thomas (25-8) won his last three fights since being released from his UFC contract. He holds UFC wins against Clay Guida, Jeremy Stephens, Rich Clementi and Matt Serra.
"I respect what Ricardo has done in boxing," Thomas said. "He fooled many opponents with that smoking and drinking shtick but he won't fool me. I train night and day and I know he works hard also. But I will send him back to boxing, crawling back to boxing. He is about to get a violent education about the skills he needs for MMA and they are skills that an old dog like Mayorga cannot learn."
News of the matchup first surfaced in December, but it seemed hard to believe that a former champ with little MMA training would accept a fight against a well-traveled veteran in Thomas under MMA rules. With the announcement Wednesday, it appears it'll be more than just a publicity stunt and the two athletes will indeed face off.